HopeTale
by FilledWithHope
Summary: "The end of everything began as a day of nothing. My name's serif. This is my story." HopeTale is an AU where Hope is stronger than Determination. Spanning across the multiverse, the path of SerifSans takes him in contact with the war beyond the surface of his own world; the fight between wrong and right, between villain and civilian, between darkness and light.
1. Foward

**__**HopeTale- Forward**__**

HopeTale is an Alternate Universe where the theme of Hope is stronger than that of Determination. Spanning across the multiverse, the path of SerifSans takes him in contact with the war beyond the surface of his own world; the fight between wrong and right, between the villain and civilian, between darkness and light. Ink, Dream, Error, and Blueberry are a few of the main characters (other than Serif, of course).

I won't promise a happy ending, but nor will I warn of an unhappy one. When dark times come, they are as black as death. But, while there is life, there is still hope. Light will come.

Despite this, things can get intense. Check the top of each chapter for **possible trigger warnings**. There will be **absolutely no foul language, sexual content, or excessive violence/gore.**

There is, however, occasionally a little **Mild Disturbing/Violent** content and one instance of **Possible Suicide Warning** chapter.

But know this: I write with the purpose of inspiring hope and peace. If it goes dark, it will pick back up again. Regardless, the warnings are there.

I am proud to announce, the story is complete. Thank you, all of you, for not giving up on me or Serif. And I'm so happy to give you, HopeTale Season 1: Hope.

All that being said, enjoy the story.

Stay Hopeful,

~FilledWithHope


	2. Prologue- The End

_one wrong move… and i die… one wrong move… and ink dies… one wrong move… and the world will come apart—well, at the seams._

"Serif, look out!" Ink shouted.

I ducked as a thick spike of rigid threads splintered the tree behind my head, then rolled as another projectile impaled the ground where I had been standing just moments before.

"HolD stILl, yOu lIttLE GliTcH!" Error growled, static lacing his words.

For a moment, his blazing eyes were on me; just enough distraction. Flecks of bright indigo splattered the snow to emphasize the loud _slap_ as Ink whacked Error with his mighty paintbrush, coaxing another volley of strings from Error's fingertips.

Summoning a Gaster Blaster, I started running. It fired, carving a gap through the snow beneath Error, narrowly missing him. Right as a burst of strings splintered the blaster, I took a running leap off its head and took to the sky. The magical wings at my back obeyed my every wish, responding to the slightest changes in direction. I made sure to give Error a wide girth as I circled him, searching for a weak point. Error, once more distracted, stumbled as Ink snapped his fingers; the indigo paint coating Error's side and arm suddenly morphed into lead, yanking him down to earth. A burst of strings and the weight was shattered. Error seemed to snap.

"EnOUgH!" he roared, the very light around me flickering as a huge wall of threads burst up from the ground, enclosing us three Sanses in a sphere of deep blue coded death. I was forced to return to solid ground. Closing my wings, I dove through a gap in the spidery strings filling the air and came to a rolling stop in the snow.

I tried my best to block out the terrified screams of the townspeople; if I got distracted, it would all be over. Another attack narrowly missed me. But then, one cry rang out from the noise, closer than the other screams, and I froze, almost getting pummeled. My soul stuttered. I knew that voice. _papyrus!_ I whipped around and looked up. There, suspended by thin, tight strings, was Papyrus, held just above and behind Error. Ink gasped. Error laughed, hitches and static distorting the sound.

"WeLl, _HopE._ BeEN MisSIng YouR BrO, haVeN't yOU?" Papyrus's soul was suddenly yanked from his chest, hovering helplessly and trembling fearfully. A smile cracked up Error's face. "TiME tO dIE."


	3. Chapter 1- Dreams (The Beginning)

Before the end, there was a beginning. And the beginning was a story, one that starts here.

My name is Serif. This is my story.

The end of everything began as a day full of nothing.

Consciousness coaxed my mind awake. Slowly, reluctantly, I let my eyes drift open a slit. Dim "morning" light poured in from the window. Slight noises from downstairs, the kitchen to be precise, prevented me from falling back asleep. Sluggishly, I evaluated the past few hours of sleep. They had been surprisingly pleasant; I'd only had three nightmares and only one of them had woken me. It could very well have been the best night I'd had since Gaster fell down… since the nightmares started. I lay there, not wanting to move, partially awake, mostly asleep, simply enjoying the peace.

"SANS!" The shout made me jump, and when I didn't respond right away, there was pounding at the door. "SANS, GET UP YOU LAZYBONES! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE TO YOUR SENTRY STATION!"

Groaning, I rolled over, stuffing my pillow overtop my head.

"alright, i'm up, paps, i'm up. try not to break the door down, k bro?" That seemed to pacify Papyrus, and I could hear him stomp off in those bright orange boots he always wore.

It seemed every day started like this. I was almost bored of it. But—a shudder crawled down my spine as the nightmares surfaced—things could be worse. _things could also be better, though._ I frowned at this thought and begrudgingly wriggled from under the mess of blankets and pillows.

Sliding with perfect precision into the soft, pale yellow slippers at the side of the bed, I pulled on my typical attire: dark grey sports shorts with a white stripe down each side, a tee-shirt the color of a snowy sky, and most importantly, my worn teal hoodie. It was about two and a half sizes too big; the sleeves came almost down to my thumbs. There were tiny holes, thrice patched, over both elbows and the seam at the edge was coming undone. But I loved it. Pulling the hood up and sliding my hands into the pockets, I sighed. _another day. nothing left to do but live it. do it for papyrus, do it for him._

Before leaving the room, I trudged over to the heap of chaos in the corner. Fiddling with the silver charm on my hoodie's zipper, which was shaped like a bird's wing, I started digging. _no, no, no… what is this?_ For a moment, I stared at a strange misshapen mass of plastic, foam, wires and glass, then tossed it over my shoulder. _no, no, nope… ah, here._ Tugging a dented metal disk out of the pile, I flipped it over, searching for the better reflective surface. Quenching my eye lights, I hesitated, then sparked my magic. My left eye socket blazed to life. Squinting closely at my reflection, I frowned; the crack had spread. Tiny flecks of glowing blue were beginning to disperse from the fractured orb in the center of my eye. It wasn't supposed to be this way.

I'd noticed the fracture a few weeks ago. It had been slowly expanding ever since. The break didn't seem to affect my magic or sight, but it was strange. _i wonder what will happen to me if this keeps up...?_ Shivering, I shoved that thought away. Glancing back at my reflection, I tried to twist my lazy smile to look a little more convincing, a little more relaxed, a little more care-free, and a little less scared and sad.

Shuffling downstairs, I tried my weary smile on Papyrus and muttered a slurred greeting. After a quick lecture on being lazy—half of which went in one ear and out the other—Papyrus presented breakfast: spaghetti. Like always. I tried to eat a few bites, but it was worse than usual; it took a lot of willpower to swallow. Thankfully, Papyrus was too busy chattering to notice me teleport half the pasta off my plate to some unfortunate unknown location; as long as it didn't end up in my mouth, it didn't really matter where it ended up. I tried to refocus on what Papyrus was saying.

"IT WILL BE AMAZING! A HUMAN WILL SHOW UP SOON, I FEEL IT IN MY SOUL! THEN, I SHALL CAPTURE IT, AND I WILL FINALLY BE PART OF THE ROYAL GUARD! JUST IMAGINE HOW COOL I WILL BE IF I JOIN!" Papyrus's face filled with absolute rapture as he imagined this dream coming true. I bit back my response.

Papyrus still hadn't put it together: if another human fell down and died, the power from their soul— the seventh one collected— would contain enough energy to break the magical barrier that trapped us monsters underground. It would be broken and the Royal Guard would be unnecessary. _let him hold on to hope. he deserves it._

"you know, that's not how things work, paps," I pointed out. "being in the royal guard doesn't make you cool. you're already super cool." Papyrus practically glowed at this.

"WOWIE! YOU REALLY THINK SO?" he asked.

" _tibia_ honest, i don't think so, i know so. i feel it _in my bones._ " I tried to ignore Papyrus's frown. Unfortunately, it was too early in the morning for my puns to be anything but recycled garbage; I wasn't actually that good at them anyway. Glancing back down at the plate, I stifled a sigh. _i need real food._ An idea came to me. Looking up at the wall clock, I feigned slight concern. "oh, just look at the time. welp, gotta get to my post. see ya later paps." With that, I teleported out of my seat and into the streets of Snowdin before Papyrus could reprimand me for not eating all of my breakfast.

A trip to Grillby's and a short walk later, I ended up at my post in Snowdin forest. The silence was deep, leaving me to my thoughts. Memories from the night surfaced, and I carefully mulled them over. What horror movie had I watched to give me such nightmares?

Images of Snowdin empty, covered in billowing clouds of powder, of a flashing glint, then a screech as another monster was dusted. A human, dressed in black and charred orange, brown boots kicking up dust. Cries of fear rang out as the child found another helpless, fragile soul. The worst were the dreams of a life without Papyrus. Of blood, dust, golden halls, dust, evil, dust, death, dust, dust, and more dust.

I tried to shake the scenes away. They weren't real, I reminded myself. But it wasn't working. _they feel real._ I loathed each night, fearing I might wake up screaming; I dreaded each morning, terrified the dreams might come true. _just let it go,_ I told myself. _you think too much. just, ignore it all… don't think about it… forget it… and just…_

 _BANG!_

Jumping, I started awake. For a moment, I had no idea what had disturbed my sleep. Then I remembered the sound and noticed the slight echo reverberating through the forest. Confusion clouded my thoughts. _it sounded like… something heavy slamming shut?_ At first, I couldn't think of what might make a noise like that. Then, fear lodged in my throat. _the ruin doors. no. it couldn't be—oh no._ Teleporting from my sentry station into the thick treeline near the overgrown path, I peered out from the shadows.

My soul nearly froze.

There, flipping a dirty knife in the air, a jagged grin cracking their face—

A child. A human child. _The Human_ _Child_. The one that haunted my dreams.

They were here.


	4. Chapter 2- Puzzles and Japes

For a horrible moment, I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. _they're here. the human is actually here, it isn't a dream, it isn't a dream! this is real!_ To my mind-numbing horror, I suddenly felt strongly compelled to go greet the child. I felt my feet start moving. It was as if I wasn't in control. My soul fluttered frantically. Distantly, too late, I realized there was a log in my path. My foot came down a little too hard in just the wrong place. The branch shattered. The human whirled, but I had already teleported back into the cover of the trees. A huge, eager smile lit up their face. _they know i'm here._ At that thought, the spell broke.

 _no, no, no! i won't go! no!_ Images flashed before my eyes. I knew what was going to happen. I couldn't let them meet.I could faintly make out the far-off sound of Papyrus's boots in the snow coming closer. _NO!_ Suddenly, from within me, I felt something snap. I took a split second to pinpoint the sound—a twinge of pain flashed through my left eye socket—then I flung myself through space.

The shortcut opened up right above Papyrus. I dropped like a stone, slamming into him and tackling him to the ground. There was a stunned pause.

"S… SANS?!" Papyrus stuttered, baffled. "WHAT ON EARTH—"

"hush!" I shushed urgently. "papyrus, we need to get out of here, now! quick, before they come!"

"BEFORE WHO COMES?" Papyrus asked in bewilderment as I tried to pull him to his feet.

"we gotta get out of here, today. we should get undyne, she'll know what to do, and we gotta tell the townspeople to hide, and—"

Suddenly, Papyrus gasped. My soul sank, and I got the feeling equivalent to the sensation of all the blood draining from my face and my mouth going dry, despite me having neither blood nor spit. Slowly, I turned to look at what Papyrus was staring at. There, standing stiffly in the snow, was the human.

Choppy, nearly black, dark brown hair fluttered in the wind about their neck, occasionally flitting across the child's face. But they didn't bother to brush it away. Their shirt was black with a single, thick band of orange across the torso. Black leggings led down to old brown boots, the tops of which were sprinkled with dust. They no longer held the knife openly, but I could faintly see its outline beneath their clothes. Their eyes… were red. Yet, that wasn't what concerned me. What concerned me was the fact that I could see the color at all; I felt that they shouldn't be open so wide.

There was a thick silence.

"SANS," Papyrus whispered, "WHAT IS THAT?" I couldn't conceal the sharp chill that ran down my spine and shivered.

"imagine it's a rock," I replied, dodging his question, still trying to pull him away. "i'll explain later when we're safe—"

"OH! OH MY GOODNESS!" Papyrus suddenly exclaimed, bouncing to his feet and pointing boldly. "SANS, IT'S A HUMAN!" Papyrus seemed to be waiting for a response from either me or the child. None came. "HUMAN!" he exclaimed, "PREPARE YOURSELF! FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL CAPTURE YOU! MY PUZZLES SHALL HAVE YOU BEFUDDLED! YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO MATCH MY WIT! I WILL AMAZE YOU WITH MY TRAPS! MY JAPES! AND MY UNMATCHABLE COOKING!" _well, you've got one thing right, paps,_ I thought distractedly. Papyrus wasn't done. "YOU WILL SOON BE MINE! AND I SHALL BE PART OF THE ROYAL GUARD! NYEH! CONTINUE… IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!" And with that, Papyrus dashed away, doubtless to complicate his puzzles.

The whole time, the child kept a straight face and a still stance. Nothing changed. I stood frozen, a sinking feeling settling over me. The child started walking forward.

"…and you don't even bat an—" I stopped myself. Where were these words coming from? I had no desire to talk to this creature!

I took a step back. A spark of pain popped in my mind and my hand went to my head. Surprised, the child paused, then smirked. Stepping past me, they followed after Papyrus. After a moment, I regained my senses and teleported after my brother, desperate to stop this before things could get worse. The day just went downhill from there.

Nothing Papyrus did or said seemed to have any effect on the kid. Puzzle after puzzle without progress. Every time, the human would simply walk through it before Papyrus had a chance to explain. His confused and dejected looks were hard to bear. Finally, I couldn't take it. As they passed by me, I reached out an arm and stopped them.

"i'll be straight forward with you. my brother'd really like to see a human… so it'd really help me out… if you kept pretending to be—wait. no." The kid gave me a confused glance. I grabbed the front of their shirt and pushed them against a tree. "you know what? it'd be a heck of a lot better if you just _stayed away from him!_ i'm warning you, i—"

Suddenly, unbelievable pain exploded in my head. Gasping, I dropped to my knees, hands clawing at my tightly shut left eye socket. _what's going on? what's going on?! i can't see!_ Sensing movement, I tried to force myself to look up. I couldn't. Then, to my horror, I felt soft hair brush against my skull. My soul iced over as the human leaned down, whispering in my ear—

"If you know what's good for you, _you'll_ stay out of _my_ way." It was the first time they had spoken. Their voice was like honey, yet there was a deadly bite in the words, too. "Anyway, I'll always win in the end... _Serif._ "

At the name "Serif," my entire being shivered. Something was desperately wrong. Fresh pain coated my senses, and I moaned quietly despite my best efforts. The child snickered, turned, and stalked off, leaving me crumpled in the snow. After a few minutes, the pain started to subside. Stumbling to my feet, I gazed numbly ahead.

I had to find Papyrus.


	5. Chapter 3- Running Out Of Time

"BUT, SANS, CAN'T THIS SPECIAL ERRAND OF YOURS WAIT TILL TOMORROW? WE STILL HAVE TWO MORE PUZZLES TO DO WITH THE HUMAN! I'M SURE THEY WILL LIKE THESE ONES! I DON'T WANT YOU TO MISS IT!" Papyrus begged, trying to reason with me. Hopping around, I continued to fight with my tennis shoes; I would need more than flammable slippers where I was going.

 _"_ sorry bro, this can't wait. and…" my mind churned, desperate to keep Papyrus away from the demon child while I was gone, "i was, ah, kinda hoping to do those puzzles with you. think you could wait till i get back? i'll only be gone for a few hours." Papyrus seemed surprised at my relative earnestness.

"I SUPPOSE SO. BUT DO HURRY BACK! IT'S NOT FUN HAVING NOTHING TO DO," he exclaimed. I nodded, hastily tying a messy knot with the pesky shoelaces.

"k. hey, in the meantime, you could make them a big plate of spaghetti," I pointed out, "ya know, all this puzzle-solving might make them hungry." _that was such a stretch._ Thankfully, Papyrus took the bait anyway.

"YOU ARE RIGHT! YES, THEY MUST BE GETTING HUNGRY! IF PUZZLES CAN NOT WIN THEM OVER, THEN SURELY MY COOKING WILL! I SHALL MAKE THEM THE BEST PASTA YET!" he exclaimed. Opening the door, I turned back to Papyrus.

"great. but, just—wait to give it to them, k? stay inside till I get back." That earned me a confused look. I quickly saved myself by adding—"i wanna hear what they think of it. i know it'll be great, just like you." At this, Papyrus smiled as bright as the legendary sun, and I knew he'd stay inside for a while. _nailed it._

"ALRIGHTY THEN! I SHALL WAIT. HURRY BACK!" Nodding, I grinned, then scurried off. Time was of the essence. I had to move fast.

I took the biggest shortcut I could without expending too much energy. Ending up in Waterfall, I headed for Undyne's house; echo flowers whispered to me as I trekked along the bank of the river. The air felt… heavier than usual. Waterfall was always humid, but this felt different. Perhaps the air was filled with drops of doom instead of dew. When I got to the huge brick fish house, I found that it was empty; thankfully, I had thought of this possibility, and left my short note on her door:

human has fallen, bad feeling about it. keep an eye out. also, distract paps for me. ~sans

Next, I headed for the river. After a brief exchange of words with the shadow-cloaked riverperson, I found myself speeding across the inky water on the back of a magical wooden… creature. I wasn't sure whether it was supposed to be a dog, cat, or a Tem. Regardless, it ran like the wind. Finally, seven precious minutes later, we arrived at the dock in Hotlands. Thanking the mysterious chauffeur, I stepped off onto the hot gravel, grateful for the thick soles in my shoes. Pulling my hoodie down and shoving my hands in my pockets, I started on my mission; I couldn't afford to fail.

Teleporting past the initial group of sentries, I snuck down the path. I didn't know why, but… I felt that my presence here should go unnoticed. Coming to the towering white walls of the lab, I hesitated. The silence around would amplify the noise of the doors opening; I still didn't want to be seen. Letting my paranoia get the better of me, I teleported inside the doors… and almost crashed into Alphys.

"AAAHH!" she squealed, tripping on seemingly nothing and tumbling to the ground amidst a pile of papers. Digging my heels into the floor, I managed to keep from joining her on the tiles. "S-Sans?!" she gasped in surprise, "W-what? How did you—"

"heya alphys. sorry about that… here, let me get those," I offered and began gathering the scattered pages. The timid dino-lizard seemed to partially get over her shock and started to help. Glancing down at the heap of reports in my hands, I caught glimpse of complicated formulas and graphs, the margins brimming with chicken-scratch notes. "this is a lot of paperwork; how are you managing without a lab partner?" I asked awkwardly, handing the pages back to her. This caused slight confusion to flit across Alphys' face for a moment.

"Um… I'm doing pretty well, like, I've always been…?" she answered, puzzled. Something inside me hitched and a dull throb started behind my eyes. _she doesn't remember gaster._

I'd noticed Papyrus didn't seem to remember Gaster, either. I'd not pushed him about it. Heaven knows the whole ordeal was trying enough. Perhaps forgetting was some sort of coping mechanism. Papyrus was a gentle soul, such things were hard for him to bear. But now I wasn't so sure. Something was up.

"What… what are you doing here, Sans?" Alphys asked hesitantly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"yeah, about that," I murmured, rubbing my head and trying not to cringe, "i was just… wondering how mettaton was…" I stopped. Something deep within urged me to keep going. I was supposed to ask how long until the famous entertainment robot was fully upgraded, and whether or not he would possibly stand a chance against a human, wasn't I? _wait a sec. supposed to? i'm not "supposed" to do anything! it can't make me! i'm wasting time!_ Desperation hit me like a snowball to the face. I grabbed Alphy's shoulders—unintentionally frightening her—and felt my scared grip tighten. "forget that, forget all of that; it's not important. we need to evacuate."

"E-e-evacuate?!" Alphys squeaked. "Sans, y-you're scaring me, what's going on?"

"a genocidal human has fallen, alphys. get mettaton ready and inform the king, we've gotta—"

I never finished that sentence. My next breath caught in my throat as my entire being jolted. _no, no, not again, not again!_ My shaking knees suddenly gave out and I crumpled to the ground, clutching my skull, which was doubtlessly splitting. It seemed Alphys was calling my name; she sounded far away, as if she stood shouting on the shore while I sunk beneath the sea. All the noise I'd ever known and all the things I'd ever seen blurred my senses. I felt static-like magic seeping from my tightly closed left eye, sparking uncontrollably. _am i… dying?_

Then, one noise rang out loud and clear. A blaring, ascending _beep_ of an alarm going off. The fog began to clear, making way for the dread that settled where my stomach would be. The pain began slowly ebbing away, and I allowed Alphys to help pull me up; I stumbled to my feet, muttering " _stupid_ _migraine_ …" Alphys, trying to steady me, glanced across the room at the big screen and gasped.

"N-n-no! Oh no. B-but… no, this can't be…" Slowly, painfully, I dragged my head up, prying my eyes open; the words I saw didn't sink in until Alphys stuttered—"S-Snowdin is… e-evacuating..?"

In an instant, it all faded. The pain, the noise, the world itself, until only one thought was left; _papyrus._ Suddenly I found my strength. Taking a decisive step back, I broke away from Alphys.

"i have to get home," I murmured, turning towards the door. To my surprise, Alphys found the courage to grab my sleeve and attempt to hold me back.

"Sans, n-no. You're safer here, and, y-you're not well enough to—"

"no, i have to go!" I insisted, and teleported away.


	6. Chapter 4- Snowstorm

The moment I ducked from the currents of magic, my breath snapped away. I tried to cry out, but couldn't. I was falling. Falling fast. Tree tops came into view. Somehow, in my haste, I had teleported—not into town—but _above_ Snowdin _Forest_. I was going to die; I would be impaled on the branches. Even if the trees didn't kill me, the impact of hitting the ground would. Shutting my eyes tight, I waited for the inevitable.

The first branch pounded my shoulder, not quite in grabbing range. Next, the tip of a branch smacked my face, leaving a terrible stinging across my cheekbone. Suddenly, a harder hit across my side flipped me, and I felt the branches slapping the back of my legs and jacket, catching and occasionally ripping as I plummeted towards my grave. I only had 0.5 HP now. Honestly, it was a miracle I had made it this far. _i don't want to die i don't want to be without papyrus i don't want to be alone i can't leave him alone!_ Flinging my arms out, I tried to break my fall. All it did was hurt more, but I persisted. Lightning fast I latched on to a branch, _yes!,_ but it snapped. Seconds till impact. _i'm sorry pap—_

 _POOF!_

 _…_ _what is this?_ Suspended in muted white, I felt cold press up against my bones. Struggling to get upright, my head suddenly broke the surface. _oh. it's a snow pof._ For a split second, I marveled at my luck, then sprang up, scattering the snow. It would be all for naught if I couldn't get back in time! I took off running. One shoe was missing—possibly hanging by the laces from a tree branch. Stumbling, I kicked the other one away, desperate to go faster.

As I dashed onwards, I noticed piles in the snow. Grey piles. _dust._ I ran faster. All through the trees and snowy banks, silence reigned as king. Thick flakes began to fall from the sky, masking my path. Still, I pressed on.

By the time I reached town, it was a full- _blown_ snowstorm. Flurries pelted the sides of the empty buildings. _empty._ My feet ached terribly, but at this realization, new panic spurred me on. Soon I could see the tiny red and green Christmas lights that strung our home. Skidding to a stop on the front porch, I flung the door open.

"PAPYRUS! where are you?! please, answer me!" No response.

I dashed all throughout the house, searching every room, all the while calling desperately for my brother. He wasn't here. Racing haphazardly down the stairs, I came to an unsteady stop in the living room. _where could he be, where could he be? did he go with the others? perhaps he's safe. but how do i know?! and, if he went with them, wouldn't he have left me a—_ note. There, pinned to the inside of the front door, was a note. Snatching it down, I quickly scanned it.

DEAR SANS, I KNOW YOU TOLD ME TO STAY INSIDE UNTIL YOU GOT BACK, BUT I HAD TO LEAVE. THE HUMAN NEEDS MY HELP AND GUIDANCE! I THINK THEY ARE VERY SCARED, AND HAVE DONE SOME BAD THINGS BECAUSE OF THIS, BUT! I SHALL GUIDE THEM BACK TO THE RIGHT PATH! I MUST GIVE THIS MY BEST, BECAUSE, MY BEST IS ALL I HAVE TO GIVE! SO DON'T WORRY! I SHALL BE BACK FOR DINNER! PERHAPS I WILL EVEN BRING A NEW FRIEND!

WITH MUCH LOVE,

PAPYRUS.

Panic hit me like a tidal wave. Papyrus was going to confront the human. Horrid scenes from my nightmares flashed before my eyes. _i have to get there in time!_ The note fell from my shaking hands and I bolted; I was long gone before the page fluttered to the ground.

Outside, the storm had intensified. I could barely see more than a few feet ahead of me. The howling wind sent the fringes of my tattered jacket thrashing, trying to push me back—but I fought forward. I knew where Papyrus went. He went to the pathway leading to Waterfall, beside the ice-ridden river.

Holding my arm up in attempt to block the whirlwinds of snow, I squinted through the thick white. I couldn't see anything. Maybe he wasn't here. Maybe the human decided to stay inside somewhere until the storm stopped. Though unlikely, maybe they talked it out! Maybe—I saw a flash of orange. Struggling forward, I rubbed the sting from my eyes and saw—

There, fluttering from a tiny heap of powder and brightly colored clothes, was Papyrus's scarf.

My entire world came to a grinding halt, like the wreckage of a train wreck as it comes to a spinning stop. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. _ok, ok, wake me up now, papyrus. come on, pound on my door, yell my name, please, it's all just a dream, it's gotta be a dream…_ slowly, I fell to my knees, reached forward with shaking hands, and touched the scarf. It was real. _this isn't a dream_.

Splintering sorrow hit my soul; I clutched the scarf, buried my face in it, and wept. Fat, bright blue tears streaked down my cheek bones, silently fizzling into oblivion as they splashed onto the soft orange fabric. I held it tighter, begging time to reverse, to bring my brother back to me. _i… failed him. i should never have left… i shouldn't have left him alone, please… don't leave me alone…_

I lost track of how many hours passed during which I wished the snow piling around would hurry up and bury me. Soon, I ran out of tears. Crying was replaced by numb trembling; the ice was starting to take over. I felt brittle. It was so, so cold…

Distantly, I sensed someone approaching. With any luck it would be the kid; then they'd dust me, too. They came closer. It had to be the kid. No one else was crazy enough to come out here in this storm. Closer still. _please, make it quick…_ They were right behind me now. There was a considerable pause, during which I shut my eyes tighter. Then, to my surprise, based on the crunch of snow, it sounded like they… knelt beside me? But before I could process this, I found myself in a warm embrace. Very warm. My eyes snapped open. The harsh white all around was now tinted a glowing orange. After a moment of shock—

"g… grillby?" I whispered, overwhelmed.

"I'm here," the kind, familiar voice of the fire monster replied. A slight pause later—"I'm so sorry, Sans. I am so, so sorry."

And just like that, I was crying again. I hated myself for it, but I couldn't stop. Warring thoughts swarmed my head. _why does grillby have to see me weak like this? he's alive, i still have a friend in this world. but i just want to stay here and freeze, i can't go on! there is a tiny bit of hope; i'm not alone. if he's here, then where is everyone else, did he get left behind, are we both gonna die? perhaps he came back for me. i shouldn't be alive; why couldn't it be the kid? maybe i still have a purpose to play, it's not over yet…_

"Sans, we need to go," Grillby said softly, standing, and gently tried to pull me up. Miserable, I wrenched away from his grasp, stubbornly refusing to leave. "We need to get out of here. It's not safe," he insisted, a bit more urgently this time. Apart from my hiccupping sobs, I didn't move.

After a full minute of silence, I began to wonder if Grillby had left after all. Then, I heard a sigh and was once more enveloped in a hug. Warmth seeped into my bones, bringing the slightest sense of peace; it was comforting. A little warmer. Slowly, my chin fell to my chest; I was too tired to keep my head up. Warmer. Gradually, I felt myself relaxing. By the time I realized what Grillby was doing, it was too late. He was lulling me to sleep. I jerked desperately, but it was futile; the next increase of temperature pushed me over the edge.

The last of my energy drained away and I gave up the fight. My sight was fading to black. Going limp, I melted into my friend's arms. Distantly, I felt Grillby hurriedly scoop me up and stand. Just as sleep stole my mind, my eyes drifted open a slit, and for a second, I saw Papyrus's scarf still clenched in my hand in a death grip, fluttering sadly in the bitter wind. Turning towards the river, Grillby carried me away from the pitiful little heap that was all that was left of my brother, and I gave into the beckoning darkness.


	7. Chapter 5- The Magic Thing

Slowly, my eyes drifted partway open. Blurred patches of dusky color shifted in a metallic grey atmosphere. _where… am i?_ I blinked, once, twice. The image cleared. _the lab?_ Indeed, I was in the lab. Without moving my head, I carefully glanced around.

I was huddled in a corner, my back to the wall—same as Grillby, who was beside me. He watched the activities of the lab with a steady gaze, as if on guard; he hadn't realized I was awake yet. I could read no evident emotion in his flames. Following his line of sight, I scanned the monsters huddled in pockets about the room. Mettaton was among the familiar faces, performing skits and dares, doubtlessly trying to distract the youngsters from their fears. Alphys was running around, checking on monsters and working at her computer.

If everyone was here… that meant Undyne was dead.

Heaving a silent sigh, I planted my right hand on the ground and pushed, straightening from my slump. Grillby noticed and turned his attention to me.

"mornin' grillbz," I murmured, my voice sounding hollow even to my ears. His flames flared a bit, a way of returning the greeting. After a moment of silence, I read the concern in his face, and answered the unspoken question. "i'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Grillby asked, unconvinced. A grim smile tugged at my face.

"no, but i'll keep up the act regardless." At this, Grillby seemed distressed, but didn't comment on this statement.

In a way, it was true. Despite Papyrus being dusted at the hands of the human—an event that was my fault—I didn't feel sad anymore. Instead, there was a new mix of emotions. A deep need for justice, a patient rage, a dangerous drive for the destruction of the human, and… determination. Nothing mattered anymore. I had nothing left to lose. So, yes. I was perfectly alright.

Glancing down, I saw Papyrus's scarf still tightly clenched in my left hand. Without taking my eyes off it, I asked—

"where's the human now?"

"Heading our way," Grillby replied.

"they got past waterfall, then." There was a heavy pause. "undyne's dead?" I asked, though it was more like a blunt statement than a question. Grillby nodded.

"Early this morning."

Despite the fact I already knew the ugly truth, hearing it spoken out loud was still disturbing. Letting my head fall back to the wall, I shut my eyes tight and sighed, a manifestation of hopelessness and frustration. Our defense was crumbling.

"Daddy!" At the call, Grillby looked up. Turning my attention to the voice, I saw Fuku hurrying towards us, the ends of her uniform's bow fluttering nervously with each step. Coming to a somewhat clumsy stop, the green fire monster pointed back the way she came. "The last group is assembling, we have to get ready!" she exclaimed. Grillby nodded.

"Alright. Go on ahead, we'll join soon." Fuku nodded also, threw me a quick, tiny, compassionate smile, and dashed off. Grillby stood and motioned for me to follow.

"what was fuku talking about?" I asked, hurrying after my friend and towards the others. But before he could respond, I felt a hand grab my jacket.

"W-wait!" Alphys exclaimed. We both turned to look at her. She blushed. "I was j-just… well—" she glanced at me, "can I see you f-for a minute?" I shrugged.

"um, sure." Meeting Grillby's curious gaze, I waved my hand dismissively. "ah, go on ahead, i'll _ketchup_." As expected, I didn't get any laughs, but I had likely dissolved any suspicions Grillby might have; good enough. He consented and continued on.

Alphys scurried off towards a side room. I followed her, still dragging Pap's scarf with me. I had a feeling this was coming. My meaningless smile fell into neutrality. Alphys knew. She had seen the truth. _i messed up big time._ Upon entering the room, Alphys shut the door and awkwardly gestured for me to sit. I complied. When Alphys turned, I promptly hid behind my smile once more.

"There's n-not much time, so… I'll get right to the point. Can you… I need—do the… t-the magic…"

"you want me to do the magic thing," I said flatly, almost sarcastically, filling in the word gaps she could not. Alphys bobbed her head. I sighed. "i'm fine, no _bones_ about it, i just—"

"N-no!" Alphys looked just about as surprised at the outburst as I did, but pressed on. "No, Sans, I-I'm… I'm really worried about you. P-please, you g-gotta let me help…"

Just as I was about to come up with another excuse, I realized—it didn't matter; we'd all be dead soon anyway. Alphys might as well know I was messed up and I might as well find out what caused it.Letting my head droop, I sighed. _well, here goes._ With one last second of hesitation, I quenched my eye lights, sparked my magic, and met Alphys' gaze. She tried and failed to stifle a small gasp.

"W-what? There's only… o-one? That's… that's—"

"not normal?" I answered. "yeah, i know." The scientist took a tentative step closer.

"And… it's broken? N-no, break- _ing_. Sans, what happened?"

"i don't know," I whispered, staring emotionlessly ahead. Another hesitant step.

"M-may I… t-take a closer look?" Alphys asked timidly. I stopped looking at the wall to look at her, wondering if I should just tell her everything was absolutely pointless. After a moment of internal debate, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

"knock yourself out," I murmured.

After digging through the bottomless pockets in her lab coat—and accidentally pulling out nerdy anime merchandise—she eventually found what appeared to be some sort of magnifying glass; soon I was the object of close examination. She was so near that if my magic hiccupped it would melt her glasses. If I wasn't so numb inside, I might have laughed at the awkwardness of the situation. But I didn't. After what felt like forever, she shuffled back.

"I've n-never seen anything like this b-before," Alphys admitted. "It's not just superficial; I think it runs deeper. Th-there's n-no telling w-what… what it might do. I don't know m-much about skeletons, g-given how few there are l-left, b-but… I th-think… eye glowing is somehow c-connected t-t-to… the s-soul," she finished, nervously fidgeting.

 _so, my soul might be breaking? huh. why does this not alarm me?_ Alphys opened her mouth to say something more when a loud screeching alarm went off. Her face went a paler shade of yellow. An image flashed through my mind…and I started laughing. A grim, cheerless smile covered my face.

"they're here," I stated miserably through chuckles, "they're here in hotlands. it's all pointless..." after one more hopeless laugh, I shoved off the chair and started for the door. "evacuate the last group," I said, "and don't stop running." Alphys stared at me in shock for a moment, then, at a loss for what else to do, hurried after me.

"B-but the Core doesn't—" I whirled and gaped at her in horror.

"the core? the other groups were sent into the halls of the core?!" I exclaimed. Alphys nodded, then shook her head.

"W-well, n-not everyone. Some are… hidden under the l-lab… b-but it's full down there, and so I had the r-royal guards h-hide everyone else, scattered, throughout the Core. I-if we're spread out, there's a g-greater chance of survival," she explained. Another image flashed before my sight. _"DETERMINATION. 7 LEFT."_ I moaned, burying my face in my free hand. _those hidden in the core are goners. the human will find them all._ Shaking my head, I hurried on. _there's nothing we can do for them now._

"no alphys, we don't take them to the core; we hide the remaining monsters in the castle."

"The castle?!" Alphys squeaked.

"the castle," I affirmed. "alph, you've had faith in me before. we even worked side by side once upon a time, remember? you listened to me then; i need you to trust me now." After a moment of hesitation, slowly, she nodded.

"Alright," she whispered.


	8. Chapter 6- The Choice

About an hour later, we made it to the castle. Alphys had received notification on her mobile monitor that Mettaton was dead; the human was close on our tail. It was amazing how our entire world was being destroyed in the space of a few days… All the way to the castle, I pondered over what I knew was coming, over what I knew I was supposed to do. For once, I didn't want to fight it. It was my destiny. The curtain would soon close, and I wasn't going down without a fight.

We came to the hall. As the group of fugitives hurried across the golden tiles, I slowed and stopped where I stood. When Grillby noticed I was no longer trailing him, he too stopped and turned to look at me inquisitively.

"Sans?" he asked hesitantly. Now the whole group came to a halt, though most remained oblivious as to why.

"go," I said softly, my voice oddly calm and even.

"W-what are you d-doing, Sans?" Alphys stammered.

"staying," I answered simply. My two friends looked distressed; an argument was about to begin. But before it could start, I said—"if you're going to waste time trying to persuade me, at least send the others on their way. every second counts."

When I made no indication of budging, thus proving my sincerity, Alphys motioned the group to continue on. I stared down at my slipper scuffing the floor until the patter of feet died away. Looking up, I assessed my audience. Alphys, Grillby, and Fuku. I should have realized Fuku wouldn't want to leave Grillby. I wished she didn't have to see this, but… soon it wouldn't matter what she thought of me.

"there's not time to be anything but blunt: i'm going to make the human pay and buy you some time," I said flatly. Alarm filled the gaze of all present.

"Sans, you'll be killed!" Grillby exclaimed.

"perhaps," I lied, knowing full well I was going to die, and continued "but if i get dusted, maybe you won't." Grillby shook his head.

"You can only deal 1 damage and you only have 1 HP. The human has an immense amount of HP, AT, DF, and LV and EXP! To say it wouldn't be a fair fight would be a vast understatement. You'd only buy us a minute, best case scenario. It's not worth the sacrifice!"

"just trust me. go."

"N-no Sans! You're n-not thinking clearly about all this," Alphys tried to reason with me. "Come with us, we're all going to be f-f-fine!"

"you're right, everyone will be fine—but only if i do this. now; go," I ordered.

When no one moved an inch, I sighed. _of course. i knew they wouldn't go. well, it was worth a try._ After carefully adjusting Papyrus's scarf—which I had wrapped around my neck back at the lab—I glanced up and down each of the three monsters; my eyes came to rest on Fuku.

"fuku?" I asked. "you're not overly attached to that red bow on your uniform, are you?"

"No, not really," she answered, confused. "Why?" I took two steps back.

"throw it in the air between us," I replied. After a puzzled glance at her father—and a nod—Fuku untied the ribbon… balled it up… and tossed it.

In a flash, I snapped my hand up. The floor writhed as bone attacks, both white and blue, shot up from the ground, ripping the fabric to shreds. The onlookers leapt back in surprise. But I wasn't done yet. Hundreds of smaller, sharper splinters bombarded the scraps, tearing them even smaller. I grabbed at the remains with my magic, forcing them together in a little heap, and flung it higher; if I hadn't, the next attack might have taken our heads off. Summoning a ring of enormous Gaster Blasters, I watched as they unhinged their maws and the room flashed with blinding light. The onslaught only lasted a few seconds. But, in the end, all that was left of Fuku's bow was a tiny spot of ash on the tile at my feet.

There was a heavy, shocked silence when I was finished.

"go," I insisted once more. "if you get the chance, take the fugitives, backtrack, and run for the ruins. you all need to get as far away from the barrier as you can." Any opportunity for disagreement was cut off by a chime from Alphys' monitor. She didn't need to say for me to know what it meant. "the human's almost here," I announced. "now go." Another moment of stunned silence. "go!" I exclaimed.

I watched as, reluctantly, fearfully, they turned and ran. Once they were out of sight, I moved to the center of the hall, watching the entrance. This was it. This would be the death of me; but, perhaps the others would live. And I would give the human the torment they deserved.

Words filled my mind—the script for the coming drama. I felt a half smile tug at my face. _i rather like some of these lines… think i'll keep 'em._ After a moment of stillness, I remembered something. Smiling sadly, I raised my hand, summoned a blaster, and destroyed the camera hidden by one of the pillars. Neither Alphys nor anyone else needed to see what was going to happen next. Absolutely no one.


	9. Chapter 7- Retribution

It wasn't long before the human showed up. From the shadow of a pillar, I watched in silence as they strode forward, oblivious to my presence. Their blood-red eyes were large and intent. Determined. _i have to go out there. it's time._ Sighing, I straightened. Hearing the tiny noise, the kid stopped mid-step and whirled—but I was already gone.

"heya, _brat,_ " I said. They spun back around; as their choppy hair cleared their face, I glimpsed the biggest, most eager, cracked smile I'd ever seen. A moment later—"you've been busy, huh?"

Their only response was to grip their dust-tarnished knife tighter.

"so, i've got a question for ya," I started, then paused, internally frowning. _no, i don't like that one._ Instead of asking the demon child about goodness, I asked—"how many deaths will that determination of yours overlook?" To my surprise, the human laughed. It was a chilling sound.

"Well, Serif—"

"stop calling me that," I growled through clenched teeth. They ignored me.

"How about you fight me, and we'll find out," the child finished.

"i'm warning you kid, you don't want to do that." In reply, they took a threatening step forward. I sighed. "you really wanna have a bad time, don't you?" Another step. "alright then. let's go _dirty brother killer!_ "

With that, the fight began. The human sprinted towards me, their path staggered and hard to follow. My left eye sparked ablaze.

"it's a beautiful day outside." Confusion flashed across the kid's face as a bone shot up from the ground, gouging their arm. Karma dragged their HP down like a falling stone. "birds are singing." A hit on their side. "flowers are blooming." An attack appeared in front of them, forcing a brief halt. "on days like these, kids like you…" A huge barrage of blue attacks made them freeze in their tracks; surprise and slight fear filled their eyes. "… should be _burning_." A blaster finished them where they stood.

The moment their soul shattered and their body disappeared, I turned away and shut my eyes tight, feeling sick. Heavens, I had forgotten humans bleed. It was disgusting. I was thankful I was a skeleton. A dull headache began thrumming through my head. _stay strong, it's only the beginning…_

Hearing them reload the save file, I looked back up. They had barely taken four steps when I sent a huge attack bursting through them. This happened two more times before they finally managed to roll out of the way in time. Their face, oh, they were furious! Yet slightly… pleased?

"I knew you were different, but that—!" the human laughed, eyes glittering dangerously, "that was astonishing! I'm impressed!" I balled my fists.

" _impressed?_ i spilled your guts over the hall three times just now, and you say you're _impressed_?!" They stopped to think about this for a moment, tapping the tip of their knife against the edge of their lips.

"Yes, I am. I am intrigued that you don't play by the rules."

"that makes two of us," I snapped, yanking an attack up from beneath them.

From that reload on, the attacks didn't stop.

We fought for hours. The human got better and better at dodging my attacks, but right as they would get the hang of my patterns, I would change it on them. Field of bones, a ring of Gaster Blasters, rows of shifting blue and white, walls, projectiles, pinging their soul and throwing them across the hall… no matter how many times I killed them, they just kept coming back. They even seemed to enjoy it. No matter how many times I pinned, incinerated, stabbed, or crushed them—they came back just as eager as before.

But the strain—mental, emotional, physical, and magical—was wearing me down. I couldn't keep this up forever. Justice was a hard job. I had stopped pointlessly jabbering and now had a heavy headache because of it; whenever it was especially bad, my aim was thrown off and the kid would get dangerously close.

Another reload.

 _can't… keep… going…_ Overwhelming weariness overtook me, and I knew; it was rest or dust. Pinging the human's soul as hard as I could, I held them at bay and my eyes drifted shut. _just a minute of sleep…_ In a flash, on instinct, I sidestepped, my eyes snapping open as a knife carved up the air where I had been standing seconds before.

"heh, what, did you think—" Suddenly, everything stopped.Desperation hit me like a panic attack. I felt smothering fear. I knew what would happen next.

Frantically, I launched myself backwards as the knife came for me again. I wasn't going to make it. I wasn't fast enough. With the tiny reserve of magic energy I had left, I summoned a thin bone wall between us. The blade cracked through it with ease—but it was enough. I fell back, the blade nicking the fringes of my jacket. I hit the floor.

Inexpressible agony exploded in my mind. My vision went blurry. Dimly, I saw the human dash for me. At the last possible second, I rolled, the deadly metal singing as it struck the tiles. I swept my arm out, knocking the kid's legs from under them. They crashed down. I weakly pinged their soul and gave it a rough shove. They skidded across the ground with surprising speed, the back of their head slamming into one of the nearby pillars. All was silent.

I scrambled back. Everything was still. Their broken soul hovered above their broken body. Leaning against a column, I huffed wearily, trying to catch my breath. The pain reached its dark roots deep into my skull, tightening dangerously. I watched in amazement as the knife slipped out of their limp hand, clattering noisily to the ground. I waited. Nothing. _why aren't they reloading?_ I waited and waited. Nothing. For a moment, I almost dared to hope… when their eyes snapped open.

The moment their bright, pure red eyes met mine, my skull felt crushed with white-hot, vice-like pain. The whole world pulsed and spun in my vision as I fell to my knees. My mind balked as the kid rose. Freaky hazes of 1's and 0's flickered around them. They cupped their hands around the two halves of their soul and forced them back together; they then scooped up their knife.

"how?!" I gasped in horror.

"You think you're so smart," the human growled, slowly coming nearer, "going outside of your programming, changing the story." I tried to stand, but upon discovering that was impossible, tried to crawl back. "But you're not the only one. I can break the game too!" _programming? game?!_ "I'm a hacker. How do you think I got here so easily?" Blindness overtook me for a moment. "But you—you broke everything! You're a glitch!" They were so close… "I've had enough of you. It's over now. Time to die!"

I raised my hand in a weak attempt to block the attack. The kid violently slapped it away, shoved me down, planted their knee on my waist, and drove the knife through my back. It sliced straight through my soul, the tip protruding from my chest. In that instant, my eye shattered. I felt it burst. The left side of my vision blazed ultra-white.

Gasping and choking, I gazed in curios horror as red gushed from the wound, even trickling from the corners of my mouth. _i… bleed?_ Whether it was blood, magic, determination, or even ketchup—I didn't know. The first explosion of pain came. My breath caught; I almost cried out.

"p…papyrus…" I whispered shakily, "i'm sorry—" I yelped as the kid twisted the blade.

"Shut up!" they shouted in my ear. I shuddered as the pain mounted. I felt myself disintegrating.

Dark, darker, yet darker…

Blackness.


	10. Chapter 8- Only a Nightmare

I gasped awake. For a moment, everything was dark and blurry; all I could see was the harsh blue glow from my magic, lighting up something wrapped around my face. I was crumpled up, fists clenched tightly, arms pinned at my sides, my legs tangled in something. Panicky, I flailed, throwing my weight to the side—and suddenly fell, hitting the ground with a dull _thud_. Thrashing, I burst from the suffocating prison... to see sheets fluttering to the ground around me.

I had been wrapped up in blankets. My blankets. I was in my bed. Well, beside it, now. Wide-eyed, I stared in disbelief at the clutter around me. Memories of pain flashed through my mind; I grasped at my chest—I was still in one piece. _wha… what? but, but how—_ Before I could even begin to process all this—

"SANS!" My soul stuttered. It couldn't be. Thundering knocking ensued. "SANS, GET UP YOU LAZYBONES! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE—"

In an instant, I shot up, bounded across the wasteland called my floor, flung the door open, and with a cry of " _papyrus!"_ tackled my brother in the biggest hug in the history of my existence. It was so sudden and unexpected that it knocked him down.

"SANS, WHAT ON EARTH—" he went silent as a sob shook my body. Crying, I buried my face in the orange scarf, _his_ scarf, and started blubbering like a baby, my words muffled in the bright fabric.

"papyrus, oh my goodness, you're here, bro you're here… i'm sorry, i'm so sorry, i can't believe… i never thought—" Papyrus seemed to shake away the stars circling his head and sat up. I clung tighter, sure that if I let go he would disappear. "please, i'm so sorry, it's all my fault, i never should have left, i—" Papyrus quietly shushed me, returning the hug.

"SANS," he said gently, "CALM DOWN. IT'S ALRIGHT NOW. IT WAS JUST A BAD DREAM."

"but you were dead! i lost you, it was all my fault—" Papyrus managed to pry me off him.

"LOOK AT ME," Papyrus insisted. Reluctant to let go, I tried to grab him again, but he held me just out of range. Finally, rubbing the tears from my eyes, I tried to focus on him. "IT WAS A DREAM. EVERYONE IS ALRIGHT. IT WAS ONLY A NIGHTMARE."

I was about to argue when I realized—Papyrus was right. He had to be. He was here, wasn't he? And so was I. Here we were, in our home, alive and together. Already, details began to fade. A demonic, red eyed human killed my brother? With a single hit from a toy knife? Well, there were no humans in the underground, only monsters; and a human hadn't fallen from the mountain since half an eternity ago. And, that was silly; Papyrus had lots of HP. One hit wouldn't hurt him. The whole ordeal seemed like a distant, obscure memory. A dream. _it was just a nightmare._

"only a nightmare," I repeated hoarsely. Papyrus beamed, pulling me close for a hug once more.

"YES! AND YOU'RE AWAKE NOW! SO THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!" Tears filled my eyes once more, but this time, they were tears of joy. "NOW!" Papyrus exclaimed happily, "WE'VE GOT A FULL DAY AHEAD OF US! COME ALONG, BREAKFAST IS READY!"

And with that, he sprang up, grabbed my hand, and hauled me along. I scurried to keep up, skipping every other stair in attempt to match Papyrus's pace. I felt like laughing; I knew I'd done something like this every day of my life, but in that moment, I couldn't imagine anything more amazing.

Breakfast on the couch was just as spectacular. Even though Mettaton's morning show felt strangely predictable, it captured my attention like never before. Every single crazy idea of Papyrus's seemed plausible and worth trying. And the food! Even though the spaghetti was hard to swallow, I decided I'd never tasted anything so amazing. I ate every last bite.

Afterwards, I walked all the way to my sentry station. I'd forgotten how friendly the people of Snowdin were. Despite being trapped under a stony ceiling, the "sky" was bright and beautiful. The trees down here were such a deep green. Even my little watch-box seemed cleverly crafted and comfortable. The world was so quiet and calm.

Watching the soft snowflakes drift lazily down, I realized something. _perhaps you have to lose everything you love—even if only in a dream—to finally love everything you have._ Blinking in surprise, I chuckled to myself. That was a deep thought for such an early hour.

Pulling my hood up, I rested my head on the wooden surface of the sentry station, and slowly, fell into a peaceful sleep…

 _BANG!_

My eyes snapped open. _the ruin doors._ The innocent happiness I had felt suddenly seemed to be mocking me. Teleporting from my sentry station into the thick treeline near the overgrown path, I peered out from the shadows. I feared I was about to find out if magical skeletons could barf; I felt like all my breakfast spaghetti was going to make a re-appearance.

There was the human. They held a dusty knife. Their eyes were red. All the memories snapped back into place. And I realized… _it wasn't a dream._


	11. Chapter 9- Unraveling

That was the end of the beginning. From there, it all blurred together. Reset after reset after reset. My only mission: save Papyrus. And I failed over and over and over. A handful of times I even saw him die. I traveled every pathway, tested every alternation of every possible path. Nothing saved him.

First, I attempted to keep him at home. I invented games, found recordings of TV shows, and even asked him to teach me how to cook spaghetti. Delighted, he willingly devoted himself to whatever interesting task I came up with. But it only delayed the inevitable. No matter how much he loved the current activity, if I looked away for _one second_ , he was gone. It was as if some outside force compelled him beyond the power of his own will.

Perhaps, I reasoned, capturing the human was too great an adventure to pass up. So, somehow, I had to keep them from meeting. For about ten resets, I tried variations of "staying home sick." Once I figured out I couldn't get Papyrus to stay home with me for long, I held on to hope; if I wasn't at my station, he wouldn't come to check up on me, and the kid might pass the sentry checkpoints without running into him. But that proved pointless.

A couple times, I tried killing the kid the moment they stepped from the Ruins. But they simply slaughtered me—once in front of Papyrus—and immediately reset before I could completely dust.

On one desperate occasion, I grabbed Paps and teleported all the way to Hotlands. It seemed to work! The kid reset not long after, discovering we were gone. But upon trying it again, my soul hitched, freezing me like a stone statue, and, since I was unable to argue or beg or teleport again, Papyrus worriedly carried me all the way home, put me to bed… ran into the human… and was dusted.

Finally, I tried telling Papyrus about the resets. He listened, but I could tell he wasn't truly hearing me. As soon as I finished explaining and begging, he kindly assured me that I was worrying too much, went out to face the human, and was dusted.

So, next reset, I tried again, this time proving earlier on that I could predict the "future." When it came down to it, I finished laying out my case and waited. It seemed I had gotten through to Papyrus, for he was standing perfectly still, head down, thinking hard. I regret the hope I felt in that moment. Because in the next instant, I was trapped in a cage of blue bones, a prison small enough to prevent me from stepping into a portal. Papyrus promised to be careful yet refused to let me be put in danger, saying he would let me go when he returned with the repentant human…

The walls fell less than half an hour later. Because he had died again.

The worst was, whenever I deviated too far from my "script," I would be nearly incapacitated. Either blindness, pain, inability to move, or fear would prevent me from pushing onwards. My eye was permanently shattered, sparks of teal magic flying rogue whenever I sparked it. The broken pieces of frozen light spread further apart, getting more and more shattered, until my eye socket would blaze like a shifting starry night.

The longer this nightmare stretched on, the more hopeless I became. At first, I was sure there was a solution. But after trying so many different paths… after waking up to the same day over and over… after dying countless times… well…

At about the 60th reset, I began to realize there wasn't an ending.

When it finally sunk in, I died inside. I didn't joke, laugh, or smile. Why try? The only times I did these things was when I still had my brother. The moment I lost him, I gave up. There was no point. My death was the only thing that would eventually bring him back. There were times when I simply let the kid kill me. Other times I painted the judgement hall red with their bloody determination. But nothing really mattered.

It was true: my soul was cracking. Curious, I had pinged it out to take a look—an experience I don't recommend—and sure enough, thin crevices crawled across its surface, pulsing a slightly bruised shade of purple, blatant against the turquoise-white glow. It only got worse if I died after deviating from the script. So… if I followed my lines, I might survive. From then on, I followed the simplest path: obey the script until the human reached Snowdin, then remain inside the house until I had to judge them. That way I didn't have to see anyone die. I had figured out how to avoid joining up with the townspeople, so I was alone from the moment Papyrus died till I fought the kid in the hall. It was better this way. It was better if no one knew how dead I was inside. And, when my soul did eventually shatter, it would be better if no one saw me dust for good. But that didn't really matter either.

Eventually, finally… something changed.

"Tra-la-la. The waters are wild today. That's bad luck," the riverperson said cheerfully.

 _you don't say,_ I thought numbly, _as if i haven't figured out how unlucky i am._ I gazed emotionlessly at the inky water, my thoughts almost as dark. Distantly, I found myself wondering whether or not skeletons really needed air. We breathed so we could talk and for the constant feel of it; but we didn't _need_ to, right? That was unfortunate. Because I sort of wanted to jump into the river. But deep down, I knew that could cause some major damage to my soul. And I was gonna die soon enough, no matter what I did.

Arriving at the dock in Hotlands, I silently stood and stepped onto the flint and gravel, nodding slightly at the riverperson. Just as I turned and began to wander away—

"Tra-la-la. Glitched game, human's bane. Tra-la-la." I froze mid-step. Turning, I stared at them, bewildered at these odd new words. They stared back, tipping their head to the side slightly.

"what did you say?" I asked.

The riverperson remained silent, a curious haze about them, as if they couldn't fathom why I didn't understand them perfectly the first time. There was a strange pause. Then, without a word, they turned and drifted away.

I watched them go, mind tripping. I'd heard all the riverperson's sayings; this was not one of them. And what really caught me off guard was the word "glitched." That was what the human had called me during the first fight, wasn't it? _"But you—you broke everything! You're a glitch!"_

These words carried weight, I could feel it. This was somehow important. Hesitantly, I turned back towards the castle, clutching Papyrus's scarf as I trudged towards my inevitable death.


	12. Chapter 10- Glitch

I sat in my room, huddled in the corner, right beside the piles of junk, a place I seemed to belong. The kid had reset again—after killing me, of course. Since then, they had left the Ruins, met Papyrus and I, walked through all his puzzles, and dusted a handful of monsters. Papyrus left the house to wait for the kid just a few minutes ago. According to my internal clock, that meant that in less than 1,443 seconds—which amounted to a little under half an hour—Papyrus would be dead. There was nothing I could do about it.

I gazed sadly at the ground, numbly fingering my hoodie's silver zipper charm. My mind was akin to the snow outside: cold, vulnerable to meltdown, and void of color or defining texture between lumps. After an immeasurable stretch of empty thoughts, a single phrase flashed to the surface. _"Glitched game, human's bane."_ I'd almost forgotten about the strange encounter with the riverperson.

Slowly, I raised my head, my eyes falling on the bookshelf across the room. As if magnetized, my gaze was suddenly drawn unnaturally high; there, atop the last shelf, coated in a thin layer of dust, was a binder. Confused, I rose. I'd never noticed it before.

After deciding climbing the shelf would be too tiring and dangerous, I hauled a box over, and giving an impressive jump, managed to grab the corner of the binder. I hadn't noticed the stack of papers peeking out from under the cover, and when I pulled it down, they all slipped free, scattering across the floor. Annoyed, I stooped to gather the pages. Then I noticed what was on them. Wingdings. These were Gaster's notes.

I stared at the papers in shock. Most of Gaster's research had disappeared when he did. Why hadn't these? Also, what were they doing here, in _my_ room? Why? Now I was curious. Finally, something new was happening! Carefully, I moved to the center of the room, cleared a space, and sat. Gathering all the pages together, I straightened the stack. Picking up the closest object—which happened to be a large rubber-band ball—I absentmindedly fiddled with it and began reading the papers through one by one.

Within minutes, I was thoroughly confused, intrigued, and worried. Gaster never mentioned this stuff. It was like nothing I'd ever known, yet some of it was disturbingly familiar. A few entries stood out to me in particular. As my gaze scanned down the lines, the symbols turned to letters in my mind.

 _Entry 304_

 _I have begun to suspect there is something beyond our world, our scope of reality. There is something else. Our lives are not entirely our own. It seems to me that there is a power outside our own will that guides our paths. For months now, I have observed strange compulsory behavior in those around me. I have felt bits of it myself. I must explore this._

 _Entry 305_

 _After much fact-digging and science-bending, I have discovered something: a strange magic, which I shall write about once refined. But, it affects a thing called "code." In more common words, it is like… Ah! It is like a script!_

At the term "script," I gasped. _gaster knew about the script?!_ So, I wasn't losing my mind. The script was real! Apparently, it was called "code." Shivering slightly, I continued to read.

 _The script suggests our course of action with important decisions. My guess is that it keeps us in line with our destiny. Now that I am aware of it, I can't help but notice it everywhere I go. How does no one else see? I wonder… if I deviate from this script, what will happen?_

 _Entry 306_

 _This does not bode well. Ever since I began observing these anomalies, my soul has begun to crack._

My eyes widened. All this was too close to reality for comfort.

 _It would seem that disobeying the script has made it worse, but it is hard to tell for sure. I fear what this could mean. The more I learn and discover, the more I wish to liberate monsterkind from the code. Why must we be controlled? Though we can break free, evidently, it causes damage. I must discover the optimal level of code magic. Even though this is not my assignment, I must investigate further._

 _Entry 307_

 _Things are getting out of control. I've never seen anything like this. The magic I wrote of works, but not as expected. The world, no—the universe!, the very fabric of our existence can be modified. I can see the script. The key to it was in my own soul. I found it by accident, but oh, what luck! I have found that I can observe the "script" of many inanimate objects by enveloping them with the correct frequency of magic. What would happen if I interacted with the code…? I must experiment on a non-living entity._

 _Entry 308_

 _It's gone. My desk is gone. After accidentally duplicating a few small things, such as pencils and pebbles, I tried to alter the code of a larger object, namely—my desk. In a frustrated attempt, I hit the rift of code a bit too forcefully, and… I destroyed it completely. This is disturbing to say the least. This power is dangerous._

 _Entry 309_

 _I got permission from King Asgore to borrow the human souls. I was careful not to destroy anything. After observing them, I have discovered that their code cannot be changed, unlike the monsters and objects I have watched. Perhaps if their environment was changed, they would adapt and become accessible._

On the next page were the stats on the magic frequency Gaster had been messing with. After reading it over, I hesitantly sparked my magic; my mind was reminding me of the line " _This power is dangerous_." Magic blazed to life, engulfing my hand. Concerned, I looked closely at it. Didn't appear to be anything special, just, typical ping-ing magic. All it did was drain my energy faster than normal. _perhaps gaster's magic didn't work like mine,_ I concluded, shrugging… and had a momentary mental lapse as I picked up the rubber-band ball again.

I shrieked in surprise as a bright blue flash lit up the room. The ball disappeared. Shock was replaced with frustration. _hey! i liked that one! where did it—_ realization hit. _i destroyed it._ For a moment, I just stared at my empty hands in shock. Trembling, I returned to the papers. I was on the last one _._

 _Entry 310_

 _It has fallen together. Upon trying to bring the human souls into the lab, I discovered something profound. They couldn't go in. It was as if a force field held them out. After much theorizing and investigating, I discovered the reason: it was because my desk was gone. Let me explain._

 _The desk, I assume, originated inside the lab, for it seems to have always been there. It was_ _part_ _of the room. Now that it is destroyed, or "deleted," the room is incomplete. It caused an imbalance. I had the desk replaced. Once it was back, the souls could enter. After some more experimentation, I think I understand now._

 _My hypothesis is as follows: human souls require a complete script in order to interact with our world. Now, little things can be missing or different, but if something important is gone, the human soul cannot enter. Just as the lab continued to exist without the desk, so the world would exist without each of its components. But the bigger the change, the more isolated the world becomes; when I destroyed larger objects, the souls couldn't get near the lab. Until the anomaly—until the glitch—is fixed, the souls are unable to enter._

I leapt up. The papers scattered across the floor, some fluttering under the bookshelf, out of reach. But I didn't care. I knew what I had to do: I would drastically change the code. The human's code couldn't be destroyed, that was true. But if I destroyed the code of something else important in the world, then the child would be booted out. And I knew something that matched the criteria, something that was key in the storyline.

I didn't care about the consequences. It would free my world! Alphys, Grillby, Fuku, Asgore, Undyne, Gerson, Tem, Mettaton, Napstablook, the people of Snowdin, even the annoying flower! And, my greatest wish would come true: Papyrus would be safe. Happy. I couldn't live to see him die again. For once in my life, for the first time, I knew I could save him.

I bolted. Running as fast as my short legs would allow, I raced towards the river path. I had to keep the human from killing Papyrus. The empty streets echoed back my frantic scrambling. I didn't dare use a shortcut for such a long distance; I was going to need all the magical energy I could muster.

As I got in sight, I knew I was too late. The human was approaching Papyrus. I wasn't going to make it! Desperate, I forced out the last bit of speed I had, going faster, too breathless to call out. The child pulled back the knife _—_ suddenly, I felt a spike of energy. With one more bounding step, there was a flash of light—

One second I was looking on helplessly as the child swung at Papyrus. The next moment I was right in front of him. My momentum carried me forward, launching me into my brother, tackling him to the ground—as the knife slashed across my back. It cut right through my jacket and shirt, carving a deep rift into my shoulder blades. I was doomed before we even hit the ground. Papyrus, realizing what had happened, gasped in surprise and horror.

"NO, NO, NO! SANS!" he cried. Scrambling to his knees, he scooped me up, hugging tight, as if that would prevent me from turning to dust. Distantly, I felt the weird red wet stuff soak the back of my jacket, and I wondered once more what it was.

Before the human could recover from their surprise, I pushed past my pain and yanked up a huge wall of bones around Papyrus and I. An angry growl slipped past the human's clenched teeth and they swung their knife in attempt to break the barricade. Instead, it was the _blade_ that shattered. The child stumbled back, gasping in dismay. They seemed almost afraid. Even as I grew weaker, the wall grew thicker, stronger. Hurriedly, the human pulled up the reset menu, glaring daggers at me, muttering " _stupid glitch."_

I was starting to dissolve. Time was running out. I had to delete something, now! Fighting to focus my blurring gaze, I looked up at Papyrus. He was crying, tears streaming down his face. When he saw that I was looking at him, I smiled, and whispered—

"i love you bro." With a final burst of magic, I enveloped myself in glowing blue and snapped my fingers—activating the attack—right as the human hit "Reset."


	13. Chapter 11- The Artist

Slowly, my eyes drifted open; I didn't know what had woken me. All I was aware of was painfully bright light and a numbing exhaustion. I didn't want to move. _so… tired. just wanna… sleep…_ Right as I started to drift off again, I shifted slightly, trying to roll away from the light… and realized I was floating. Surprisingly, this discovery didn't motivate me to fear, just to make me open my eyes again. I was too tired to do much else. But, I was curious. Without moving my head, I glanced around. My mind was too sluggish to make sense of what I was seeing.

It seemed I was suspended in a semi-standing position in the middle of… _a_ _kaleidoscope_? Extending as far as I could see in all directions, drifting about and mingling, were scattered layers of snowflakes, shining with color. The very air seemed to be condensed white light with no distinguishable horizon. Occasionally, among the color, images of places and monsters would flash by. Many seemed slightly familiar yet different from the world I knew. My jacket was tied around my waist, fluttering weightlessly. All these things put together, slowly flowing by, made it seem like I was peacefully sinking into a crystal river. It was beautiful.

After a while longer, a dull, throbbing pain started in my forearm. But before I could react, to my surprise, a small blob of warm orange broke away from the swirling flurries and whizzed around my arm. It sorta tickled. Then a pale, shimmery green joined the party, as did other colors, dashing here and there, from head to toe. Strange though they were, I decided these funny little colors meant me no harm. Oddly, the pain soon subsided, and the living snowflakes drifted away. I stayed like that for who knows how long, half asleep, lazily watching the glowing critters. They came and went, seemingly as they pleased.

After straddling wakefulness and unconsciousness for possibly another hour, something happened. All along, it seemed as though I had been floating about, going with an unseen current. Now, I felt a definite change in direction. Something was pulling me somewhere. Before long, a distant spot grew on the nonexistent horizon. As I drifted closer, I saw… myself?! Except, this "me" looked different. It took some willpower to stay awake, but I managed to make out this new entity.

The skeleton's posture said he was sitting cross-legged, except, he was suspended nearly upside down, slowly spinning into an upright position; a flowing, brown, art-stained scarf lazily followed close behind. His brown, yellow-sleeved shirt had a belt pulled diagonally across it; small paint vials in a rainbow array were attached to it. The brown shorts matched the shirt. Beneath both were black leggings, decorated with rectangular blue lines on the inner sides. A light blue hoodie, similar to my own, was tied around the skeleton's waist. Brown and black striped tennis shoes with yellow laces tapped to some silent tempo in his head. His hands, covered with fingerless brown gloves, flew across the face of a sheet in a worn sketchbook. Around him drifted various art supplies, like pencils and erasers, which he would occasionally reach for. Most noteworthy, though, was the giant paintbrush strapped to his back, its psychedelic tip fluttering in the unseen breeze.

Without looking away from his sketch, the skeleton twisted his body, seeming to engage some type of gravity and "land." Walking through invisible space, he came up to me, still not paying attention to anything but his paper. Sticking the pencil he'd been working with in his mouth, he suspended the notebook in the air with a faint blue magic.

Fighting to stay conscious and too tired to speak, I tried to refocus my gaze. It was then I noticed the smudges of black on the skeleton's face and the colors in his eyes. One was a blue circle, the other a yellow star. _cool. no, wait—_ Now one was a purple diamond and the other an orange triangle. No, green rectangle and pink swirl. No! Now they were different again! Every time the skeleton blinked, the patterns changed. It was hypnotizing. Curious, I watched this strange phenomenon with rapt attention.

"Oh good! You're awake," the skeleton exclaimed, consulting his notebook. My mind balked. _how did he know i was awake? he never looked up!_ "Oh, your code shimmered," he explained, "it hasn't been doing that. I had a feeling you were confused, so, yeah," he said, taking a paint-filled glass heart from his belt thing and shattering it in his hands; an identical vile materialized in its place. "Code's not really my thing. That's more of Error's thing, but, I mean, I can still fix it. I think," he added, rubbing his now bright green fingers together and reaching for my arm.

My eyes followed his movement and went wide. Instead of bone, my forearm was composed of shifting particles, falling from 1's to 0's and back again; where the rift ended, dust began. I was barely holding together!

"Don't worry! I'll have you mended in no time," the chipper skeleton assured me, tracing a finger over the ribbon of code. To my surprise, the glittering particles solidified back into bone. "Anyway, you've been like this for days, and you're still here." _what?_ "Yup! I scooped your code from the void," my apparent savior explained, moving around me, either finger-painting or brushing me back into existence. "That was very brave of you, to save your world, deleting n' stuff. Code, I mean." _does this guy even know how to "english?"_ I wondered. "Yeah, I'm pretty scattered," he admitted, then paused awkwardly, his eyes going hollow. "What were we talking about again?"

I blinked in confusion. _i must be hallucinating. this is all so crazy. where even am i, who is this guy, why am i still alive, how—_ suddenly, all I could think of was Papyrus. Tears welled as the questions quelled. _if i'm here, that means he's safe._ The strange skeleton had made his way behind me and now gave a little sigh of exasperation.

"Bother. I was hoping it held this time," he said, sighing.

There was a rustling sound. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw long white threads spread into the air; simultaneously, I felt air pass lightly over my spine. The back of my shirt had _unraveled_. I gasped, but the skeleton took no notice. I sensed him lean closer, humming in disapproval, then drew his finger across my shoulder blades. I shivered, remembering the path of the knife. Seemingly concerned, he pulled away, and I could hear more shattering paint vials. Then, a tingling sensation filled the gap as he carefully tapped his dripping fingers atop the gash; involuntarily, I jerked. It _hurt_!

"That hurts? Sorry, didn't think of that. I suppose it might. You weren't awake other times I've used healing. Oh, I can make sure it won't!" he jabbered, then quickly added, "hurt. I can make sure it won't hurt, not the healing, just… What was I saying? I forgot…" he muttered. "Well, sleep well!"

With that, I felt a light tap on the back of my skull, saw a blinding explosion of psychedelic, radiant color, then blacked out.


	14. Chapter 12- Ink and Dream

Suddenly, in a flash, I was awake again. It seemed as if no time had passed, yet judging by the colors and images around me, I felt that much had changed; I had drifted far. This time, I was fully awake. Glancing around, I searched my surroundings. After some twisting and turning, I managed to pick out a form in the distance. _that must be that other skeleton._ Wracking my foggy memory from before, I tried to recall how he had engaged "gravity." After struggling for a while, I eventually twisted the right way and came crashing down. Even though I was hovering only about a foot from the ground, it was still unpleasant.

Getting to my feet, I hesitantly started wandering towards the stranger. Curious, along the way, I tried to pet the strange color critters, which I deemed "Wigglers." My hand passed through them like water, but they didn't seem to mind. The floating pictures, which I decided to call "Windows," were stranger; they seemed to try to keep away from me, as if I was a magnet of the same polarity. Finally, I made it to the skeleton.

Once again, his attention was devoted to a worn sketchbook. Since I had approached from behind, he hadn't noticed me. Chin in hands, he lay partially suspended in the air, absentmindedly kicking his feet up and down as he flicked through the pages of the sketchbook. Occasionally he would tap one, and to my surprise, a "Window" would materialize above the paper. After gazing at it for a minute, seemingly in search of something, he would flick his hand and it would drift away. Eventually, I decided he wouldn't be looking up anytime soon, and hesitantly said—

"…hello?"

I might as well have set off a bomb. The skeleton shrieked in surprise and fell to the invisible floor, bounced up, and whipped out his giant paintbrush while whirling to face me. I'll admit, it was rather intimidating, and I took a surprised step back. But the moment the artist realized who I was, he smiled wide.

"Oh! It's you!" He swung his paintbrush around to his back; it magically stayed there. "Sorry! I shoulda known you'd be up. You figured out how to land, huh? I should have warned you, don't want you to land wrong, that would hurt. You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"well… it wasn't much, but—" Suddenly, his smile melted into a look of shock. "what is it?" I asked.

"Stand up straight, will you?" he murmured. Confused, I complied.

Staring at me, he took a step closer and eyed the distance. _what is he...?_ His eyes flashed excitedly and he carefully traced his hand from the top of his head to mine. His jaw dropped and he tried again. With a sudden gasp of delight, he jumped up and down, and squealed—

"Oh, YES! YES! It's happened, it's finally happened! Oh I KNEW this day would come!"

"what?"

" _I'm taller than you!_ " he exclaimed.

"um… yeah, i'm pretty short," I muttered with a shrug. The skeleton turned his now wide and serious eyes on me.

"Yes. You are. Thank you so much! Oh, I knew I wasn't the smallest!" He seemed to get a semi-sad, faraway look on his face for a moment. "Well, I mean, other than Blue…" he paused, then snapped out of the daze. "I couldn't tell until now, I mean, earlier you were floating, but I _hoped_ I was taller, but you weren't standing, I couldn't tell. You're so little!" _what is up with this guy?_ "It's so wonderful, I'm not the only smol one! You're—"

Suddenly, without warning, he went rigid, his eye lights went out, and… he barfed. Leaping back, I gaped at the river of black gushing from his mouth. The torrent only lasted a few seconds. After a moment of acute silence, he pulled his sleeve across his face, shook his head, and went back to normal.

"That happens sometimes. No harm done!" he insisted as the liquid evaporated from the ground. "And! I have something!" Apparently convinced the explanation was sufficient, the skeleton started digging through a brown bag that had dropped from the air when he did.

"ah… okay," I murmured, unsure what else to say. After another minute of silence, I pushed past my confusion and got to the important stuff. "so… who exactly—" the skeleton pulled a brand new sketchbook and pencil packet from the bag and handed them to me with an elated smile, "are you?" I finished, "and where am i?" For a moment, he gazed at me with a blank stare. After a few seconds, his eye lights flashed back on and he seemed to snap out of the daze.

"What now?" he asked.

"who are you, and where am i?" I asked again, a bit more pronouncedly, as if spelling it out for a child, convinced this guy was loony.

"Oh that's easy!" he declared, sitting down and snooping through the bag once more. "I'm Ink, and this is the Doodle Sphere!" he exclaimed, waving a hand as if to encompass everything. _ink, huh? well, that fits._

"um, okay, none of that means anything to me," I murmured to myself, "so… how did i get here?" I asked.

"I scooped your code out of the void," Ink explained calmly, pulling handfuls of colored pencils from the bag and rolling them towards me. I stared down at the sketchbook, balking at the fact the relatively small bag could hold so much stuff. "I'd been watching your universe for a while; it stood out from the other worlds. A genocidal hacker. That's truly awful. But before I could intervene, you took matters into your own hands. You were dusting fast when I got to you, but somehow you stayed together just long enough for me to get you here." This was a lot to take in, and I numbly sat down among the growing mountain of art supplies at my feet.

"did it work?" I whispered. Ink gave me a questioning glance. "did the human get… booted out of the world?" To my absolute relief, Ink nodded. To my absolute horror, he then shook his head… then shrugged.

"I think so," he said. "Probably. It's glitched to the point where even I cannot see inside anymore." While he spoke, he distractedly rose and wandered over to another floating bag. Alarmed at all this, I leapt up and followed him.

"what's that mean? and, how can you 'see' into worlds anyway? wait, worlds, _plural_? what do you mean? how many are there?" Ink stopped rummaging through the sack to count on his fingers and in his head. After a minute—

"No idea," he answered, shrugging. "Lots."

Before I could even comprehend this crazy information, something even crazier happened. There was a flash of light as a swirly design of gold, sky blue, and white appeared in the air… along with the faint smell of apples. Then, leaping from the light, emerged another skeleton! And he looked like Ink and me! Sleepiness didn't help dull my shock this time. I dropped in surprise and scrambled back.

"Hello Dream!" Ink called, waving. Apparently, doppelgangers dropping out of nowhere had no effect on him.

"Hi, Ink!" Dream exclaimed, his voice chipper. "Is our new friend awake?" Ink nodded, and Dream caught sight of me.

Summery yellow eyes gazed at me curiously. Around his forehead was a thin, golden circlet of some sort, like a crown. A cape of similar color, clasped with a large star pendant, fluttered down past his sky-blue shirt and lake-blue pants, down to his golden boots, which had blue ties. Around his waist was a golden belt, a large badge with the letters "DS" engraved in it. Whenever he moved, a quiet jingling could be heard; small, blueberry-like bells were attached to the side of his belt. He clasped his golden-gloved hands together in delight.

"Hello there! I'm Dream, you must be Serif! It's wonderful to meet you!" he chattered in a rush, holding his hand out to me. But I was frozen.

"you… called me serif," I whispered, fear lodging in my throat. That was what the human called me. _all that glitters is not gold, all that is gold is not good…_ Dream looked confused.

"Why, yes. That's you're name."

"no, my name is sans." Slowly, secretly, I prepared an attack. "the only times anyone has called me that other name… was when they tried to kill me!"

I sprang up and summoned a Gaster Blaster. Dream froze in shock, and as it fired, there was a rainbow burst. When the light cleared, I saw a shimmering wall of color between me and the other two skeletons; Ink had used his paintbrush. Panic rose in my mind.

 _i shouldn't have been so complacent, i should have been more careful! i shouldn't have trusted these monsters! what was I thinking?_ Magic static flickered nervously in the air around me, seconds away from materializing into another attack.

"Serif, stop!" Ink ordered. Dream moved from behind the wall and approached me.

"Serif, listen—"

"stay away from me!" I shrieked, sending a barrage of bones flying. Dream calmly watched them approach. A long, golden staff, crested with a star on each end, materialized in his hands and he knocked the attacks from their path at the last second.

Turning, I started running. I had to get out of here. A strange pang of sadness filled me. _i thought i could trust ink. he seemed genuine…_ Ink teleported in front of me, and for a moment, I thought I glimpsed concern in his eyes.

"We're no threat—" I cut him off with an attack; it glanced off his shoulder.

"i don't believe you!" I retorted, running faster. "the last person who called me that name drove a blade through my soul! _multiple times!_ " I searched desperately for an exit. There didn't seem to be one. "i won't go through this, not again, not again!"

"Serif…" Dream called.

There was something in his kind voice that made me hesitate. But in that moment of hesitation, suddenly, the ground beneath my feet was slick with paint. Dream teleported directly in front of me, hands outstretched as if to stop me. Unable to get any traction, I skidded right into his arms. Panicked, I struggled, but he wouldn't let go.

"Everything's alright," he soothed.

"nothing's alright!" I argued, freaking out.

I sensed Dream reach for something—his weapon, probably. I tried to ping his soul. Nothing happened. I tried to summon attacks. Nothing happened. So, I simply stood there, trembling in fear, waiting for the strike. Instead of killing me, Dream started humming. It sounded… vaguely familiar. But before I could place the tune, I heard the faint jingling of one of his bells, and suddenly, I was surrounded by images. And in those images, I saw… _papyrus?_

I gazed in awe at the streams of memories—my memories—materializing before my eyes.

I remembered the first time I got to hold my baby brother. His smile was so cute, and that bright giggle lit up my life. He was everything to me. Everything.

There I was, from when I was so young, walking around Snowdin with little Papyrus clinging to my hand, jabbering excitedly about his hopes for one day being in the Royal Guard. I told him to never give up. He looked so happy…

There was the day he had come in from playing outside. Absolutely luckless, he was scratched up and half frozen because he had fallen from his makeshift tree house… into the river. I'd patched him up, scrounged together all the blankets, monster candy, and videos I could find, and then spent the rest of the day with him on the couch, beneath piles of blankets, laughing at silly movies because we were on a sugar high.

Again, there we were again, laughing together, smiling. And again. And again…

The memories stopped as fast as they started and I realized unbidden tears were slipping down my face. They dissolved into a sprinkle of golden light as Dream held me at arm's length and smiled.

"Let's try this again," he said, "because based on your reaction… I don't think Ink explained things to you. And there are a lot of things you should know."


	15. Chapter 13- A Close Call

Smiling, Dream held out his hand to me.

"My name is Dream." Slowly, hesitantly, I shook it. Dream smiled wider and continued. "I am the embodiment of all good emotions and happiness. With Ink, who is creator and protector of the AUs, I watch over the welfare of worlds similar to yours."

"what is an 'au'?" I asked carefully, "and why do you keep calling me 'serif'?" Dream shot a disapproving glance at Ink.

"Ink, did you explain _anything_ to him?" Dream asked.

"I was getting there…" Ink murmured, then turned to me. "'AU' stands for 'Alternate Universe,'" he explained. "There are hundreds of variations of your world, each existing simultaneously yet separate from one another. And, Serif is your name. Well, you're name in the Multiverse—"

"Which is what we call all the AUs together," Dream added.

"Anyway," Ink continued, "in each AU, there is a version of, well, you. You are a Sans, just like Dream and I. While in our respective worlds, we are known as such. But outside of them, we are known by our real names. Yours is Serif." My mind swirled.

"then… why did the human know my name?" I asked. I was starting to feel sick. Dream shook his head.

"Since they were a hacker, they probably saw your name in the code. They can access almost anything in there."

"what exactly is code? gaster mentioned it in his research, and… i think that's what I destroyed to get here," I admitted, absentmindedly rubbing the back of my aching skull. Ink perked up.

"Code is like the canvas a picture is painted on. It is the base of our very existence. Some monsters, such as Dream and I, are no longer bound to it." He paused, scrutinizing me. "It seems you broke free, too."

"i'm… free from the script?" I asked, shakier than I meant to. Dream nodded.

"Yes. Your actions are no longer controlled."

"does that mean, when i go home, that others could be freed? could papyrus?" There was a strange hesitation. The two skeletons shared a glance. I noticed. "i _am_ going home… right?"

"We're working on it," Dream admitted. "I don't know how long it will take, but, we—"

I stumbled back. Inexpressible pain thrummed in my head and shoulders. Things were getting blurry. One moment I was standing, the next I was on my knees. _no… not again…_ Dream and Ink hurried towards me, their images blurring. Right as they reached me, I crumpled to my side.

"What's happening to him? What's going on?!" Dream exclaimed, almost fearfully, as he rolled me face-up. _help…_

"I don't know!" Ink replied.

Catatonic, I stared up at them, not quite seeing. Ink waved his hand in front of me. Involuntarily, I flinched, and my eye suddenly exploded with a star-storm of magic.

"Shattered?!" Dream gasped. Ink replied, but I couldn't hear what he said. Noise sounded far away, as if I was underwater. Numbly, I sensed my HP slowly creeping down. 0.9… 0.8… 0.7…

Frantic chatter. Things were going dark. 0.6. One of them pinged my soul. 0.5. Distantly, I felt someone flip me over, suspending me an inch above the ground. 0.4. A rustling sound. 0.3. Then, a wet _slap_ sound and pain… and my HP stopped, flickering weakly at an alarming 0.2.

Slowly, carefully, I was placed back on the ground and my soul was released. The pain subsided. Gradually, my HP began to increase as Wigglers clouded me. My eyes drifted shut… but I was still listening.

Furious and frightened banter ensued between the two skeletons, much of which I couldn't catch. Then, I managed to pick out a few threads of conversation.

"… too close for comfort… stress of the information must have been too much."

"The patch doesn't last for long… the wound isn't healing. I don't know why… Every time it falters, his HP goes down…"

"… not safe… can't go back, damage could activate… can't go with Core Frisk… has to stay..."

Then, after this, there was what seemed to be a long debate about… a color? Or, a piece of fruit? No, I think they were discussing blue-berries. It made no sense. Eventually, deciding I wasn't going to hear anything more useful, I let myself drift off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 14- But Nobody Came

/CONTENT WARNING: Possible Suicide Trigger/

"Heya." My eyes flickered open. There, a few feet away, was Ink, pouring over his sketchbook. He seemed almost solemn. "Sorry for being so scattered. I guess the excitement of having a new friend in the Doodle Sphere was a little much for me." Slowly, I sat up. Ink sensed this and threw a light, apologetic smile my way. "I forgot how overwhelming all this can be," he continued. "If I wasn't so out of it, perhaps you wouldn't have come so close to dusting. It might be my fault all this happened. I'm sorry. Could you ever forgive me for being so careless?"

Such sober words from Ink surprised me; I wasn't sure he was capable of coherent thought. For a moment, I felt frustrated with him. Of course this was his fault! He brought me here, right? He failed to inform me of ground-shaking information and I almost choked on the facts. I almost died! Yet… he seemed truly down about the situation. He didn't want this to happen. Anyway, he did save my life. Twice. And, he did just apologize. _all things considered…_ I sighed.

"yeah, it's alright. apology accepted," I affirmed. At this, it seemed a weight was lifted from Ink, and he smiled a mile wide.

From there, life blurred together.

Over the next few "days," it began to sink in that I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so _boring_. True, Ink was around most of the time, and was "entertaining" in some way or another, whether intentional or not. Dream popped in from time to time; I found that, if I called his name loud enough, he'd show up. Yet, they both appeared distracted, especially when they were together. It seemed to me that they were trying to work out some problem, but, they wouldn't tell me what it was about. I managed to convince myself it didn't matter. I wouldn't be here for long, right? I'd go home soon… right?

Honestly, I was worried. So often, Ink had to materialize a new patch over my shoulder blades. It wouldn't stay. Whenever the healing faltered, my HP went down. It was terrifying. If I went home, would this keep happening? And, what would happen without Ink there to do something about it? I tried to block those questions out.

The sketchbook Ink gave me on my first "day" attested to my lack of artistic skill, so I instead would fold origami from the messed up pages. When I wasn't drawing pathetic stick figures or throwing planes, I watched the Wigglers or chased the Windows. The Wigglers seemed to like me. We played games together. I don't know what kind, really, but they seemed to enjoy my company; they followed me around.

Windows remained a mystery. I'd often see them appearing over Ink's sketchbook. He'd search them, then flick them on. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch up to any. They steered away from me. It was like chasing a cloud.

But, eventually… something went wrong.

I wandered around the white expanse, boredly searching for Ink. I couldn't find him. I'd called his name, tried to ride the current, followed swarms of Wigglers, and backtracked Windows. Nothing led me to him. I didn't exactly need a companion, I was just bored.

But, after what felt like a full 24 hours, I started to worry. I'd been alone before, but never this long. I searched harder, I called Ink's name again, I called Dream's name... But nobody came.

A long time passed. There was no one. I was alone. I was starting to get nervous… when the world flickered. When the air flashed from white to grey, I started, jumping about an inch at the sudden darkness. Then the light came back. But then it happened again. Even though I knew the Doodle Sphere was endless, I started running. Something was wrong, wrong, wrong!

 _i have to find ink. i don't think he's here, but i have to keep looking!_ I shouted Dream's and Ink's names. But nobody came. The world hitched again, this time for a full six seconds before resuming. What would happen if the light went out for good? Just as this thought entered my mind, the air flashed, then, went a dark, dead grey, and everything froze. I came to a skidding stop. The silent pulse in the atmosphere was gone. Wigglers and Windows hovered motionless in the air. Everything just… stopped.

I glanced around, half expecting the world to implode on me. But nothing happened.

"… ink? dream?" I called shakily. "are you guys doing this?" I waited… but nobody came.

Hesitantly, upon deciding I wasn't in any immediate danger, I started wandering around. It was strange seeing clouds of unmoving Wigglers. They were always so energetic. And, for the first time, I got a good look at the Windows. They were hauntingly familiar, yet, disquietingly different.

 _perhaps these are the other "worlds" dream and ink were talking about. they're… freaky._ Then, as my gaze landed on one, my soul missed a beat. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was Snowdin. I dashed forward, hand outstretched, sure that the world would unfreeze and I would lose this glimpse of home. Right as I reached forward, the light flashed back on—I touched the Window.

There was a blinding explosion of white. I felt as though I had been thrown from a building. Moaning, I sat up. In front of me stretched a white path, veiled in white, covered by a white sky. For a moment, I thought the Doodle Sphere had lost its color, until I heard a sound behind me and whirled—

"papyrus!" I cried, launching myself at my brother in a big hug, evidently stunning him. "you're here! oh my goodness, you're here! i'm home, i must be home!" I was a bit surprised he hadn't spoken. I blubbered on anyway. "dream and ink must have found out how to send me back. i don't know how, all i know is this is the happiest i've ever been… paps, you have no idea what i've been through, but none of it matters now…"

He wasn't moving. Slowly, I tipped my head up, and realized… he wasn't even looking at me. It was like he couldn't feel, hear, or see me at all. He was gazing past me, watching for something.

"… bro?"

"HALT, HUMAN!" I jumped at the sudden exclamation. Then the words sank in. Numbly, I shakily turned around to see a veiled form stalking towards us.

"no… no! why are _they_ here?" I lamented. They took a step forward.

"HEY, QUIT MOVING WHILE I'M TALKING TO YOU! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY…"

"no, no, no! paps, no! run! please!" I begged, turning and trying to get his attention. "please don't let this happen!"

"HUMAN! I THINK YOU ARE IN NEED OF GUIDANCE! SOMEONE NEEDS TO KEEP YOU ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW!" I heard the crunch of snow, signaling the approach of the human. "I SEE YOU ARE APPROACHING. ARE YOU OFFERING A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE?"

"no!" I wailed, yanking on him, trying to pull him from harm's way, panicking.

"I WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS!"

"NO!" I cried, turning, flattening myself against him. I saw the human bolt forward… I stretched my arms out in attempt to shield Papyrus… the blade passed right through me.

Time slowed as I heard the crack. I felt the light darken. I fell to my knees. I didn't need to turn to know my brother was dead. Broken, I stared horrorstricken into the blood-red eyes of the human, smiling gleefully. Burring my face in my hands, I sobbed. Then, it all melted away.

I was back in the Doodle Sphere, weeping pitifully. It was all for nothing. I had sacrificed everything for nothing. I was here, safe in the realm of creativity, while Papyrus was left with a genocidal hacker. He was left alone. _i left him alone. and now he's dead._ My entire being shook with misery. Everything was wrong…

Why didn't it work? It should have worked! The human shouldn't have been able to return! Yet, somehow, I failed. Why?! _perhaps it's because i survived._ At this thought, I stopped cold. _what would happen… if i died here? would i wake up in my bed at home, or… would i dust for good? would that save my world? if i died? but, how would i know? either way… it doesn't matter. i can't do anything to save anyone… i couldn't save him… i'm sorry papyrus… you deserve life, not me… i've done terrible things… you should be here, not me… i can't do this. i can't stay here but i can't go on…_

Either way, it didn't matter. It was Save or Dust.

Sobbing, I pressed my hand over my chest and pinged out my soul. Cringing at the discomfort of the action, I stared at it. It pulsated, faster than normal, a light teal, paler than usual. The cracks from over the resets remained. It looked so… broken. Either way, something good would happen, right? Either my world would be saved, I would wake up at home, or, I would be forevermore blissfully ignorant of the pain.

Tears blurred my vision. Summoning a small blue bone attack, no longer than my forearm, I turned my face away and pierced my own soul. I felt nothing, naturally, because I wasn't moving. But the moment I let go of my soul, it would snap back into place behind my ribcage… and the blue attack would activate. And I would dust.

One last time, I stole a glance. The small, cracked, glowing mass fluttered frantically, as if begging me to reconsider. For a moment, I hesitated. Is this… what Papyrus would have wanted? Then, suddenly, I shut my eyes and let go.

…

Nothing happened.

Stifling a whimper, I slowly pried my eyes open. Blinking, I gaped at the scene before me. Despite the fact I had stopped pinging, my soul still hovered before me, bone attack and all, encased in a blue flame. _but… how—_

"Serif." My head whipped around. There, trembling slightly, stood Ink. He had pinged my soul.

"no…" I whispered. "no, ink, please… just let me go!"

"No Serif," he said.

"please! no, i can't do this!" At these words, I grabbed for my soul. He suddenly engaged gravity, stronger than normal, and I crashed to the ground, held there by weighted chains.

"That wasn't your world," Ink insisted pronouncedly.

"wh… what?"

"That was not your world," Ink repeated. "What you saw was not real. Your world is safe. Your brother is alive." I was shaking once more, weeping. I couldn't tell if I was relieved or horrified.

Ink walked over, almost staggering at one point, and gazed numbly at my soul. Bringing his hand up, he swept a finger through the attack. His HP temporarily became visible as the single damage point was shifted to him. I balked when I saw his stats. It was critically low!

"ink," I gasped, "your health—"

"Is fine," he finished firmly. The extra gravity disengaged, but I remained sprawled on the ground, fighting tears. It was then I noticed the signs of battle.

In many areas, Ink's clothes had fine rips. There was a small gash on the side of his skull, which had been turned away from me till now, and rainbow colors slowly seeped from it. It appeared his right wrist was fractured. Yet, even as my eyes widened, I saw the edges slowly coming back together, healing.

"I'm fine," he repeated, then turned around. "Dream," he called. A moment later, a weary-looking Dream stumbled through a portal.

"Yes, Ink? What's—" Dream caught sight of my pathetic state and stopped. Ink strode over and held up my soul for him.

"No questions. No explanation needed. Just watch over him for me, please," Ink requested. At "please," I heard the sadness break past the shock; he turned, and walked into the distance.


	17. Chapter 15- An Encounter With Error

Since my failed disappearing act, Ink and Dream never let me out of their sight. Despite Ink keeping the reasons between us, Dream diligently contributed to my "babysitting." Ultimately, it was decided I was too fragile mentally to be left alone but to fragile physically to go anywhere. So I was stuck.

One day, though, an opportunity presented itself.

Ink paced back and forth, wearing circles in the non-existent ground, occasionally pausing to think. When he did this, he seemed to forget what direction he was pacing in, and would often go the reverse way. I watched him boredly, occasionally glancing down at my poor sketchbook, which still had nothing good in it. Eventually, Ink sighed loudly in frustration.

"Agh, fine!" he exclaimed to no one in particular, then turned to me. "Come on," he said. A swirling rainbow portal opened up beside him. I sprang to my feet.

"what?" I balked.

"I have to go check on something, but, Dream's busy right now, so you'll have to come with me."

My first instinct was to argue that I didn't need to be monitored, but, on the other hand, this was earning me a fieldtrip from the Doodle Sphere! Excited, I nodded and hurried over to Ink. Breaking a paint vial in his hands, Ink swept it out; the light lime particles materialized into a bubble like structure around me. With that, Ink pulled me through the portal.

After a bright burst of light, I was chucked from the tunnel into a deep snow drift. The bubble took the brunt of the force, but it was still unpleasant. Ink landed on his feet beside me and helped me up.

"Try not to wander too far, but, you can look around if you want. And remember; this is not your world. No teleporting; it could dislodge the patch on your back. Just be careful, okay?" Ink warned, then hurried off.

Awed, I gazed around me. It looked like we were in the equivalent of my Snowdin forest, except… this place was wrecked. Chunks of ground had been pulled up, forming precarious cliff-like structures. Trees were uprooted, buildings flattened, and the once soft, even snow was churned up. But, growing overtop all this were mosses and the occasional buttercup. It was almost tranquil.

I meandered about, climbing over the fallen trees in my way to inspect the town. I couldn't much tell the buildings apart anymore. Though, I think I stumbled over a chunk of Grillby's counter at one point.

"hey, ink?" I called, my voice carrying through the empty air. "what happened to this place? where are all the monsters?" A skittish Ink called out an answer from somewhere on the other side of town.

"This world was razed long ago. All the monsters were evacuated to a safe place called 'The Omega Timeline,' organized by someone named Core Frisk, who you'll probably meet someday. Anyway, it seems there's been some disturbance here, but, I don't know what, exactly."

Nodding to myself, pondering this strange information, I continued to search the overgrown wasteland. Moving back towards the big locked doors in the forest, I wondered if they had been wrenched open. Perhaps I could see into the Ruins. Sadly, the impenetrable doors were still shut, now barred with a fallen stone. Sighing, I glanced around. Interestingly, one of the chunks of ground appeared to be… _a staircase?_ A perfectly formed, winding staircase rose up from the trees, with a few growing atop it, along with a patch of flowers. Curious, I decided to climb the steps.

At the top, soft patches of golden flowers covered the ground, shifting in the warm breeze. A few pine trees dropped their rustling green needles about. It was truly serene. I wandered the expanse until I came across something strange. It appeared to be a blue spider web, strung between some of the trees. I'd never seen anything like it.

"hey ink," I called, "what's up with this blue string?" I asked. From across the town, Ink whirled and cried out for me not to touch it—too late—as I nudged the web with my foot.

Threads whipped out of the ground, wrapping my ankle and yanking me up. I shrieked in surprise, flinching as my slipper fell off, conveniently slapping me in the face on its way down. Suddenly, a portal opened in front of me. Relieved, thinking it was Dream or Ink, I stopped struggling. But the skeleton who stepped through the portal was neither of my friends. In fact, he looked like an enemy.

His bones were black as night, as were his slippers, jacket, and shorts, the latter having a bright blue line down the side. His shirt was primary red. A large, yellow smile greeted me. His red eyes flashed eagerly; one side was nothing but a small white spot for a pupil, the other was composed of rings of blue and yellow centered on a black dot. Deep blue tear streaks stained his face. Flickering 1's and 0's glitched around him, as did the word _"ERROR."_ His smile grew. The strings—which were coming from his fingertips—tightened around my leg as he approached me.

"WhaT's wrOnG? FeEling a LittlE _hIgh StRung_?" he taunted. Suddenly, there was a flash of light behind him as Ink teleported in and drew his paintbrush.

"Error! Back down!" he ordered. The threads wrapped me up securely, around my other ankle and wrists, waist and chest, lifting me back and higher… away from Ink. The dark skeleton, who's name I assumed to be Error, tipped his head to the side.

"HelLo InK. LoNG tIme, no sEe. I wOnDereD wHeN yOu'D CAtCh Up tO mE," he declared boredly.

"I'm not here for a fight," Ink replied. "I have no interest in an empty world; you can have it. Just put him down." Error chuckled, a glitchy, chilling sound. A bundle of strings wrapped together, forming a tentacle-like shape, and started poking me, probing for something.

"Oh, buT I'm nOt Here foR a WoRlD. I'm shoPpinG," Error explained. I gave a little cry of fear at the tentacle's searching and struggled to get away. At this, the strings pulled tighter, restricting my movement even more. Ink faltered at my cry. Error smiled and continued. "I'm loOKing fOr a New toY; mY lAst onE bRokE."

At these words, Ink looked stricken; he barfed a torrent of black ink, evidently almost choking. Barely giving himself time to recover, he took an angry step forward but stopped when the strings tightened, causing me to yelp again; a warning from Error to stay away.

"What have you done?!" Ink gasped, voice breaking in a mix of horror, sorrow, and furry. " _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO BLUEBERRY?!"_ Spastic shocks of color flickered violently into the air around him. I estimated mere seconds before Error (and by extension, me) ended up blasted into next Tuesday, give or take a few centuries. Then the Destroyer waved his hand dismissively.

"ThE chAtty piEce of FrUit is fiNe." The rainbow flurries faltered. "He'S noT a tOy, hE's my peT." Error glanced up at me. Our eyes locked. I shivered, panic rising. "But tHis oNe woUlD mAke A gReat pLaytHinG."

"no thank you!" I shrieked. Error tightened the strings in warning, almost to the point of making my eye lights pop out of my head. Focus still torn, Ink looked distraught.

"Error, you can't keep Serif. He wouldn't survive a teleport, let alone your games. Just let him go. Please," Ink beseeched. My soul was drawn out and Error wrapped it up in tight blue threads as Ink begged. Error cut his plea short.

"If hE's as fRagiLe as yoU feAr, He woN't SuFFer lOng." With that, the bundle of strings reached for my soul.

I felt a spike of energy as panic reached its peak. There was a flash of light—I was suddenly on the ground, facedown between Ink and Error. I had phased straight through the strings. For a split second, nobody moved out of surprise. A static growl laced the air as Error flung his hand up, summoned more strings, and shot a blast of them my way. Ink darted in front of me, swinging his brush to knock the attack off its path. I began to rise, but then fell back.

"ink… the patch, it's faltering…"

Ink swung his paintbrush once more, a bright array of colors temporarily solidifying between us and Error. Whirling, Ink grabbed the back of my jacket and shirt, yanked down, and swiped his brush across the widening gap, loosened by the strings and my teleporting. He was immediately forced to return to the defense.

My critically low HP slowly increased back to its whooping full capacity of 1. I stumbled to my feet. The hill on which we stood dropped off sharply behind Ink and I; Error was blocking the way down the cliff. Ink was slowly backing up, losing ground. There was no escape.

"Serif!" I turned my full attention to Ink. "Serif, I need you to get back to the Doodle Sphere, but I can't risk opening a portal near Error; you're gonna have to jump."

"what?!" I shrieked.

"The portal down there is still open. Down and to the left," Ink said. I peeked over the edge.

"are you crazy? i can't make a jump like that!"

"Trust me. You won't die," Ink insisted.

Apparently, I hesitated a little too long, because one moment I was standing on the edge of the cliff, the next moment, Ink whirled and shoved me. I plummeted through the air, falling like a stone. _i'm gonna die i'm gonna die i'm gonna die!_ Then, faintly, I could hear the resonating sound of Ink snapping his fingers. Suddenly, the magical paint coating my back transformed, snapping out into teal wings.

Still panicking, I managed to pull up and came to a rolling crash-landing. Struggling to my feet, confused at the weight on my back, I sprinted for the portal and leapt through. Seconds later, Ink teleported from the cliff into the portal behind me and snapped it shut.


	18. Chapter 16- The Angel

I tumbled into the Doodle Sphere. An instant later, Ink came to a summersaulting stop beside me. Smoothly transitioning from rolling to running, he bolted, found his favorite spot a few meters away, and started pacing in a tight circle. I leapt up, stumbling as I readjusted to balancing normally once again, then hurried after him. He was muttering to himself now, occasionally scribbling things on the fringes of his scarf. I waited as patiently as I could, expecting he would give some sort of explanation. When he showed no signs of stopping, I let the questions loose.

"ink! what _was_ that? why did he—who is he? why? why was he after us? and me, why me? what is going on?!" Ink had stopped pacing and now stood still, watching me. He was being uncharacteristically quiet. Pondering for a moment, he sat, then patted the ground in front of him.

"Your jacket's ripped. Let me fix it." Still numb from the near-death experience, I obeyed without question and plopped down in front of him. Ink sighed thoughtfully.

"You visited another world. That was one of the Alternate Universes Dream and I spoke of," Ink explained as he unwove and rewove the threads of my tattered shirt. "Long ago, it was devastated by the other Sans you met today. Error. Destroyer of worlds. I've known him as long as any. He was not always… insane."

"wait, you two aren't _family,_ are you?" I exclaimed.

"No," Ink said. "We're not related in the least. We are as Yin and Yang. I don't actually remember much about my creation. I don't really know how I came to be. I know his story better than I know mine."

"what happened?" I asked. "who… why… what made error insane? and why is he after you and me? and who is 'blueberry'?" Ink tisked.

"Slow down. Too many questions, I won't remember them all."

So, I asked one question at a time, and Ink told me the story.

Error was once quite normal, rather like I was before the hacker entered my world. He too had a genocidal human fall from the mountain. Though I had resisted that part of my coding, he had offered the human mercy in the midst of the judgment fight. They had accepted it, beginning to regret what they had done. But Error was bluffing. Laying down their knife didn't mean the end of the judgment. The human "got dunked on," a display of what it feels like to be shown fake mercy. Error then, as of all Sanses, requested that, if they were really friends, that the human would not come back. The human reset the world and returned.

But, when they reset, it glitched Error. Stealing the human's soul, he destroyed his own world and disappeared into the Anti-void. The Anti-void was the empty space between universes. It was like the Doodle Sphere, except—no color. No bright light. No Wigglers or Windows. Just… nothingness. Error, upon arriving in this white-room prison, slept for almost an age. But then he got tired of sleeping. The place was so suffocatingly quiet that he lost his mind.

Upon discovering how to see into other worlds, Error concluded that they were all glitches—rather ironic, considering he was one himself. He declared that he did a thankless job, destroying universes, for, "there should only be one." Ink said that he himself, along with Dream and Blueberry, had clashed with Error on countless occasions.

Blueberry was yet another Sans. He was from a universe named "UnderSwap." It was too crazy for me to comprehend, but, basically, in that world… Sans's and Papyrus's personalities swapped. There, Sans was upbeat and innocent, and Papyrus was lazy and protective. All the other monster's personalities were swapped with their counterparts, also. It was nearly too much for my mind to handle. Anyway, Blueberry was part of Ink's team, known as "The Star Sanses." Together they protected the worlds… until Error abducted Blueberry.

Blueberry, along with the soul of the human child from UnderSwap, who was named Chara, had been taken by Error. Since it was impossible to track in the Anti-void, there was no way to find Blue. He had been missing for a long time now. And Ink and Dream were ready to do anything to get him back.

"… been searching for a long time. That was the first contact with Error I've had since he took Blueberry," Ink concluded. I nodded slowly, chewing on this.

"so," I asked, "he'll be alright… right? i mean, error said he's fine. it sounds like he doesn't want to hurt him. so, that means you have all the time in the world. that's good," I pointed out. Ink, I assume, shook his head, finishing the last strings of my jacket.

"Even if Error was telling the truth, Blueberry could die from isolation and fear, lack of care, or overtaxing psychological strain long before Error loses his interest and kills him." Ink, taking a deep breath, concluded— "If Blueberry's personality is drastically altered, his sanity broken, or if he is gravely injured… anywhere from five hundred to four thousand worlds could disintegrate."

"5,000?!" I shrieked. Three things happened simultaneously. There was a loud _RIP_ sound, I felt a strange weight at my shoulder blades, and Ink seemed to be slapped back. Confused, I looked behind me.

To my utmost surprise, I realized the teal wings had snapped out. I thought they had disintegrated upon us reaching the Doodle Sphere. Apparently not. Ink sat, awkwardly bending back, pushed away by the sudden force of the wings, which had smacked him right in the face. Turning his head and pushing the wings out of his way, he spat a mouthful of what appeared to be some sort of semi-solid, teal feathers. They disintegrated. After spluttering a few more feathers, he sighed and frowned at me.

"Come on, I _just_ fixed that jacket," he muttered. But I didn't really care about the jacket anymore. I struggled to my feet, craning my neck to get a better look at the wings. I was surprised at how relatively light they were.

"they're still here…?" I balked. "I thought they disintegrated when we came into the Sphere." Ink stood and shrugged.

"It's kinda weird they've lasted this long. This kind of paint magic doesn't usually persist for more than ten minutes or so. I'll reclaim it." He touched the edge of one of the wings… but it refused. Ink seemed confused. "What?" he murmured, and tried again. _But it refused._

"ow," I murmured. Ink's eyes went wide.

"You can feel that?" he asked in shock.

"yeah." I shrugged.

Ink started pacing again. I stood stupidly watching him, with nothing but freakish wings at my back to attest to my confusion. Ink stopped pacing, stared at me, then started pacing again, now murmuring unintelligibly to himself.

"would you please tell me what's running through your mind right now?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Did you see dreams?" Ink asked, ignoring my question.

"what?" I asked.

"Before the human fell, did you dream about them coming?"

"that's kinda irrelevant right now…" I murmured.

"Did you?"

"yeah," I admitted. "lotsa other weird stuff, too. probably all wishful thinking, though." Ink gave me an inquisitive glance.

"Wishful thinking, about what?" he pressed. I shrugged.

"imagining what it'd be like to have a kind human fall, if there is such a thing. and what it would be like if we all made it to the surface. that sorta thing."

Ink started pacing again. Just as I was losing all patience with him, he whirled.

"The Angel," he stated simply, a look of revelation on his face, evidently pleased with a puzzle well solved. I stared at him blankly, too confused to even ask. He noticed. "Your world has the legend of The Angel, right?"

"yeah," I agreed, "though i'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. the angel, who's seen the surface, is supposed to liberate all the monsters, either by life or death. what of it?"

"It's you," Ink murmured. I balked.

"what? seriously? no, come on ink, that's impossible! it's obviously referring to a human: seen the surface, liberate the monsters—in my world, by killing all of us—and will 'return' to the underground… this is ridiculous." Ink shook his head.

"Alright, so, it could be the human. But you match the criteria as well: you've seen the surface and you have a chance to return to your world to free it."

"i haven't seen the surface," I pointed out.

"But you did. You saw the routes a human could take: genocide or pacifist. There are other worlds like yours, where the Sans has foresight, but they are rare. Your actions told me you suspected the human's actions beforehand. You dreamt the outcomes, didn't you? They weren't dreams. They were real. You really saw the surface."

"but… but that never happened! we never made it to the surface!"

"It was a _possible_ outcome. It might have been an impossible past, it might yet happen."

"but… but…" I stuttered uselessly.

"It's what makes your world special," Ink exclaimed happily. "I've been wondering for a while. It's so close to the Classic Homeworld: mostly, apart from small things, all the monsters behave and look the same. I wondered what set your world apart. I knew there was something special hidden in this story!"

"i'm the angel," I murmured dumbly, still incredulous and unconvinced. "but… what if you decided to give me something practical, like, oh, i don't know… a _parachute?_ then what would i be? a pro skydiver? and i'm not even supposed to be _here_ at all, i shouldn't even have these things," I insisted, gesturing to the wings. "this has got to be some sort of mistake…" Ink shook his head.

"I was actually planning another protection bubble. But then the paint—or your code—decided to make something else." Ink then seemed to remember my full comment and shook his head again. "Nothing's a mistake. There's a reason for everything, ya know." That stopped me short.

"a… reason?" I challenged. Ink nodded.

"Yeah. Everything has a purpose. Don't you know it?"

 _a reason? a purpose? was watching my bro die over and over part of this "plan"? what about my deaths? the corruption of an entire world? what about all that?! how… what about error? how is that okay? HOW IS ANY OF THIS OKAY?_

"i don't… i don't understand…" I whispered, holding my swimming skull, stumbling a few surprised steps backward… right as a flash of light and a swirly design of gold, sky blue, and white appeared in the air behind me.

"I sensed stress, is everyone alrig—" For a moment, as I pitched backwards, my foot falling through the floor that was no longer there, I couldn't help but think— _what a joke…_

I tumbled through the lower part of the portal as an oblivious Dream leapt from the top; he was currently unaware of my presence. Distantly, I heard Ink call my name as I was swallowed by the swirling rift in space. The portal snapped closed.


	19. Chapter 17- Hope

I was sure I'd fall forever. Already, the glow from the portal was gone. I shut my eyes tight. I didn't want to see the endless void reaching out to grab me. Empty space flew by, the only sensation being that of the air growing cooler, thinner. Suddenly, it seemed I dropped into a different atmosphere… and I stopped falling. Slowly, I pried my eyes open. I blinked. My mind stuttered with wonder.

Suspended all around me were lights. Massive glowing spheres floated weightlessly in the quiet black. Tiny bits of reflecting, refracting rainbow specks diffused from the mother lights. It was almost like… the fabled solar system I'd read about in the few books from the surface I'd found. It was so beautiful.

I wanted to get a closer look, except, there didn't seem to be a "floor." But just as I thought about moving, I realized I was slipping forward, effortlessly moving through the empty space. The spheres blossomed from the distance to the foreground, becoming clearer. As I got close, the current slowed. Ultimately, I ended up about a foot away from a gigantic light sphere. It was blinding, yet bearable. It was so beautiful.

I was expecting intense heat, for books said "stars" are made of fire. But, either the books were wrong or these weren't stars. Slowly, hesitantly, I reached forward. There was an encompassing flash of pure light, and suddenly, everything changed. It seemed as if the world was no longer through my eyes. It felt like someone was telling me a story.

There was a child, a human child. My first reaction to this scene was disgust. But then I realized they were lonely and lost, weeping, wandering through a dense forest. There didn't seem to be any ill-will in the sorrow-stained face. Their eyes were open only a slit, a weary expression to behold. And as they stumbled through the murky shadows, I could faintly hear them whisper " _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"_ over and over and over again. Suddenly I felt empathy towards this lonely, broken soul.

To my horror, I realized they were blindly staggering towards a cave; the floor was broken open with a yawning hole just inside the overhang. I couldn't tell if the child was blind to the danger through their tear-blurred vision or if they were doing this on purpose. As their foot caught on an old vine, they pitched forward into the darkness, fear and regret resonating from their very being as they plummeted into the underground…

Gasping, I jerked away. I was back in the space place. The star had pushed me out! _but what about the story? i need to know the fate of the child!_ Desperate, I grabbed for a smaller fleck of brightness dispersing from the orb. A flash of pure light.

There, again, I could see the kid. Tears floated up past their face as they fell through the air, temporarily weightless. I feared they'd be smashed to bits on the hard stone floor. Instead, a thick, lush patch of golden flowers broke their fall. Sniffling, the child sat up. Realizing their time wasn't up yet, realizing that they had a second chance… it filled them with determination. They stood, and after a moment of timidity, they started walking.

Once again, I was thrown out of the story world. Once again, I grabbed the closest orb of light, and it resumed.

There was a flower, different from the rest, talking to the child. Through trickery, it almost killed them, but was defeated at the last second by a kind goat lady who came to the child's aid. Toriel, her name was. She cared for them like a mother. It wasn't long before the human requested to return home. The caretaker attempted to stop the child, whose name was apparently "Frisk." She stood before the doors of the Ruins, summoning fire magic, and exclaimed— _"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive! Attack or run away!"_

I felt almost sick. I didn't want either of these characters to die. Another star.

Frisk spared Toriel. The child showed mercy. This was astonishing to me. A human… could be kind? But before this revelation could sink in, I was greeted by the shocking presence of a doppelganger on the other side of the Ruin doors. Another Sans. Yet, now, I understood; I was not him, he was not me. We were altered reflections of the same person… yet we were our own selves.

His and Frisk's dialogue was similar to the speech I knew, yet friendly. Papyrus came, and the safely hidden kid giggled at the brotherly banter that ensued. They laughed. They patiently and eagerly participated in all of Papyrus's puzzles.

The tiniest flicker of hope found its way amidst the growing worry in my heart. This was all I cared about. Would they spare him?

Papyrus confronted the human. And they showed him mercy.

From there, it all passed in a blur. Undyne, spared. Alphys, befriended. Mettaton was granted mercy. Asgore, Flowey, Asriel… nobody had to die. The barrier was shattered and all the monsters were freed. Frisk led the way to the light of the sun. The monsters all stood, gazing at its beauty in complete rapture… because they were free. It was so beautiful.

Breaking away from the light, I fought welling tears. It had felt so real. It was so wonderful. _well, whatdo'ya know. happy endings do exist._ Glancing up, I realized that there were still myriads of stars, waiting to tell me their stories. For a moment, the sheer number of them daunted me. But then I felt my smile widen and I eagerly rushed for the next star.

I don't know how much time passed there. Tale after tale, I saw the lives of characters play out over and over again. They weren't all happy, but, if they weren't happy, then it wasn't the end. There were times when a confused child, unwittingly dusting monsters, was guided onto the right path by Papyrus, kindly urging them towards mercy. Some stories told of the child fearfully killing Asgore and crossing the barrier to safety—just to return and free us all.

There were times when the human killed everyone. But, upon fighting the Sans of the world and hearing his plea, the kid tearfully reset. Upon the rebirth of the timeline, bursting through the Ruin doors, the child flew into Sans's arms, hugging him for all they were worth, sobbing " _I'M SO SORRY SANS_!" and turned from their past evils.

Variations existed, too, both of the characters and the story. I decided I was looking into the Alternate Universes. Over time, I began to see that no matter the path… some good eventually came of it. The pain endured in evil times was strength in hard times. The kindness experienced in good days brought resilience to the long days. No matter the timeline, there was a resolution.

There was… hope. There was always hope. And finally, just maybe, I realized… I had the chance to save someone else.

Just as I broke away from a star, lost in the count long ago, I heard something. Turning, I saw a distant flash of rainbow light slice through the calm dark. Ink and Dream tumbled through, colliding with each other. Scrambling up, they frantically started calling my name, flickering from one place to the other.

I was about to answer their calls when Ink teleported nearby. Catching sight of me—

"Oh thank goodness, Serif, you—" Ink came to a stuttering stop. "S…serif?!"

"hi, ink," I said simply. His eyes widened.

"What… why are you… what happened? How are you not dead?!"

Confused, I glanced down. Normally, this was the sort of thing that would make me gasp and haphazardly stumble back in surprise—but thankfully, the lack of ground prevented this. Every wound I'd ever suffered… every scratch and crack and cut and hit… was visible once more. But now they were gold, their imprints hovering in an aura just off my bones.

Most notable was the large "X" from the times the child had slashed diagonally across my chest, the typical attack. Straight stab marks shone, too. I could see the fracture that crawled across my shin when the human kicked me, and the time they swung their knife there, too. Circular slash marks encircled my arms and legs. I could feel the slight shimmer in the air when they had chucked a rock at my skull. A strange glow seemed to be coming from beneath my eyes, and brushing my fingers there, I realized that all the tears I'd ever cried were there, frozen in time, shimmering gold, along with the strike across my right eye.

My left eye socket was ablaze with magic, but, not blue. Gold. The tip of one of the wings caught my gaze. Gold. My soul flickered. The light teal mass, glistening brightly, marred brutally… now had gold filling in the cracks, smoothing the damage over.

Nothing hurt. Instead, I felt as though I was healing for the first time, truly healing. I considered the circumstances of my suffering. And for the first time, despite everything, it didn't matter; in some strange way, I found forgiveness for the human in my soul. Just as these thoughts entered my mind, even as I glanced down at the thin lines of gold from my weary hands, I saw them slowly fading, shimmering into oblivion as the nearly invisible scars disappeared. Soon it was all gone, save for my soul; the gold remained in the cracks.

 _hope heals all hurt._

Ink, and Dream, who had joined the artist, stared at me, mouths hanging open. For a moment, no one spoke out of shock.

"i'm sorry for giving up, and for scaring you guys," I eventually said sheepishly. "i promise not to lose hope or disappear again—well... not on purpose." Now they were even more at a loss for words. "if all's forgiven… i wanna stay with you guys in the doodle sphere for a while. i want to help you protect worlds. i don't know what good i can do, but, i'm gonna do my best, because…" Papyrus's words came to the forefront of my mind, and I smiled, truly smiled. "because my best is all i have to give."


	20. Chapter 18- Follow the Yarn

That was the beginning of a new adventure. From then on, I was determined to make a difference, to do the best of my ability to help in some small way. First, though, I had to learn how to use said abilities. At the start, it was clumsy and awkward, trying to figure out the wings. It took a while to make them do what I wanted, summoning and unsummoning, moving, turning… flying. Regardless of the fact collisions in the Doodle Sphere don't drain HP, things like crash-landing on my face hurt regardless.

Before long, Ink realized he didn't want to fix my jacket constantly nor cut holes out, and thus decided to do something a bit more creative: paint it. I don't think "practical" is in his vocabulary. Magic paint, in the design of the Delta Rune, now covered the back part of the fabric. Wings retracted, it looked like the typical symbol we all knew so well: wings spreading from beneath a circle which hovered above the three up-down-up pointing triangles, the middle one replaced with a save star. But, whenever it was time to fly—or flop around like an injured bird—my wings took the place of the ones on the rune. Ink was pretty chuffed with the whole design.

So, after weeks upon weeks of waiting, eventually, finally, I got my chance to make a difference.

It was a relatively normal day in the Doodle Sphere. Ink was pacing about, darting from sketchbook to sketchbook, murmuring to himself and misplacing art supplies. I glanced between him and one of his notebooks, entitled "Minor AUs," looking through the different pictures and trying to learn about these worlds. Just as Ink lost track of the 26th colored pencil, Dream vaulted through a portal.

"Ink! Serif!" Dream called, his voice chipper, "It's all clear! Ready!" Upon hearing this, Ink bounded to his feet; a handful of forgotten colored pencils fell from the folds of his scarf.

"Excellent! Great work Dream," Ink exclaimed, gesturing to me and pulling open a portal of his own. "Onwards!" he declared. I leapt up.

"'onwards'? to where? what's going on?" I asked. I noticed Dream roll his eyes at Ink before hopping into the rainbow portal.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you," Ink murmured, trotting ahead of me towards the portal. "It's your first tag-along mission to an AU! Ready?" Before I even had time to answer, Ink grabbed my hand and excitedly hauled me with him through the rift in space.

After a blinding display of psychedelic light, I was chucked from the portal. Ink kept me from falling, though, pulling me back just in time to keep me from face-planting in the pine-needle-littered snow.

"thanks…" I murmured dizzily, feeling somewhat sick despite having no physical stomach.

"You'll get the hang of landings soon enough," Ink assured me happily, closing the portal. Once my head stopped spinning, I joined Dream, peeking over the edge of a bush.

"where are we?" I asked, Dream shushing me when I spoke too loudly, and added—"and why are we being quiet?"

"UnderFell," Dream explained in a whisper. "It's like… an edgy version of the Classic world. Here, it really is 'kill or be killed.' And, we're being quiet because of him," he explained, pointing.

I followed his line of sight. There, at a nearby sentry station, was an unidentifiable form. Whoever it was had a spikey, fluffy black hoodie, lined with beige fur, pulled over their head, which rested in their arms. It seemed they were asleep.

"Cherry knows of the AUs, but, it'd be best if he doesn't see us," Ink added, coming to crouch beside me. "We're not really on good terms." I shot him a confused look, mouthing _"cherry?"_ Ink shrugged. "Cherry's the Sans of this world. Blueberry gave him the nickname. He's the only one on Cherry's good side." I nodded, turning my attention back to the treeline, realizing Cherry must be the napping sentry.

"so _why_ are we here?" I whispered.

"There's a chance Error has been here recently," Ink explained. "He drops in from time to time to steal stuff. Ever since Blue was captured, I've been keeping close tabs on Cherry's things, namely the refrigerator."

"I picked up on some frustration a few hours ago," Dream continued. "It's a pretty specific feeling unique to whenever Cherry notices something's missing." He stared a moment more at the sleeping Sans, then turned to Ink. "I sense he's still out. Doubtful he'll wake any time soon."

"What about Papyrus?" Ink whispered.

"Last I checked, he was going to Undyne's house in Waterfall on his way back from Hotlands. He shouldn't return for a while." Ink nodded, grabbed Dream and I, and teleported.

The forest flashed into oblivion, replaced with a house in horrible disarray. My two friends scattered in an instant, intent on their mission, but I took a minute to take it all in.

Bright red walls and jaggedly-patterned carpet gave an overall sense of chaos. From where I stood, I could see most of the first floor and part of the second. On one side of the room stood a table with trashed paraphernalia. Further still was the entrance to the kitchen, where Ink and Dream busied themselves. In front of an old TV was an old couch, which was about as black as the dead screen it faced. At the top of the staircase I could faintly make out a door; based on the general layout of the house, I decided it must be equivalent to Papyrus's room, except, its "Keep Out" signs were not as friendly and humorous as the ones I knew. Doubtless Cherry's room was a bit further down the hall.

Turning from this harsh reflection of home, I headed for the kitchen to join Ink and Dream. Ink sat in front of the open fridge, hurriedly listing its contents, while Dream searched through the cabinets.

"heya, is there anything i should—" Ink and Dream dashed towards the doorway, pulling me along with them.

"Kitchen's unchanged," Dream summarized. "We gotta check Cherry's room. Sooner we're out of here, the better. Time's of the essence. If we get caught, they'll try to kill us."

With that comforting explanation out of the way, we scrambled up the stairs, past Papyrus's room, and down the hall to Cherry's. Ink nudged the ajar door open. Once we three were inside, he pulled it to again.

"Look for anything unusual, like a completely empty box or drawer, or something recently broken," he instructed.

We split, scouring the corners of the room. If finding Error's tracks meant finding a trace of Blueberry, I could understand why the two Star Sanses were so intent on this mission. So, I was determined to be thorough, too, even if it meant digging through a fellow Sans's stuff.

Scanning through a pile of bins, despite the vague advice, I searched for anything out of place. A minute later, I moved to the next cluster. And the next. And the next. There didn't seem to be anything.

Judging by what I found, I soon realized my lifestyle really was different from this skele doppelganger. For starters, I wasn't exactly a hoarder; I didn't want to keep stuff, I was just too lazy to throw anything away. But I recognized lots of things Cherry _shouldn't_ have in the first place; he'd stolen them. I recognized objects from the lab, Grillby's, Undyne's house, and even from the castle. There weren't as many science related objects… more trap related ones. Also, instead of empty ketchup bottles, I found empty _mustard_ bottles. Gross. I couldn't believe anyone could drink such a thing.

Just as I managed to slip through the jammed closet door to continue my search, I heard a sound. My soul stuttered. Ink and Dream heard it too. _THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP…_

"Someone's coming!" Dream whispered desperately.

The other two skeles shared a panicked glance. An idea hit me. Flinging my hand out, I pinged Ink and Dream and gave a hard yank, pulling them into the cramped closet.

Crushed together like sardines, trying not to bump anything over, we stopped breathing. I shifted slightly, trying to see past Ink's scarf, and peaked through the door slit. Moments later, the pounding footsteps neared, and a monstrous shout of _"SAAANS!"_ later, the bedroom door slammed open. In stomped Fell Papyrus.

In plain honesty, despite him somewhat resembling my sweet bro… Fell Paps was kinda scary. Instead of a friendly, inviting smile, his expression was jagged and menacing. A scar-like crack crossed over his right eye socket; the lights in his eyes were red. The long gloves clenched tightly at his sides were also red, as was the tattered scarf fluttering agitatedly behind him. Angry, tall crimson boots with black straps pounded the ground as he scoured the corners of the room. Tucked inside said boots were the ends of his black jeans, complimented by his black, spiky shoulder armor.

"WHERE IS THAT LAZYBONES?" Papyrus murmured, loud despite his intentions. "HE SHOULD BE BACK BY NOW… I SWEAR TO ASGORE, SANS," he suddenly yelled, "IF I FIND YOU ASLEEP ON YOUR LAZY BUTT, I WILL PERSONALLY DUST YOU! YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING TRASH BAG!"

I cringed at these unkind words. This guy was _nothing_ like my Papyrus. I turned away, no longer intent on stealing a glimpse out of the closet, when something caught my gaze. If I'd had the chance to look through the clutter earlier, I wasn't sure I would have noticed, since it would normally be taller than me. But now, it was hard not to notice; it was right beside my face.

Stacked behind me, digging into my spine slightly, were stacks of plastic bins. The top one closest to me was open, and… empty. Well, not quite. There were a few short, tangled bits of yarn littering the bottom, along with a small shred of unnaturally bright blue. Curious, I pinged it and some of the bits of string out, lifting it from the bin and holding the scraps in the palm of my hand, bringing it close to my face to get a better look. _i think the blue thing is… fabric?_

As I nudged Dream to show him my finding, the bins shifted. My soul went rigid as Papyrus turned towards the tiny sound. I don't know what happened, but the moment I looked into his red eyes, fear spiked to critical levels and my wings snapped out. Bins toppled. A dangerous smile grew on Papyrus's face. He started towards us, fast, muttering " _WHY, YOU LITTLE DUST-DOOMED COWARD…"_ while he picked his way through the clutter. Ink gave a tiny panicked gasp, grabbed Dream and I with a grip like iron, and suddenly teleported without taking time to pinpoint the location. Doubtless, Papyrus saw the flash of the teleport, but at least he didn't catch us.

We dropped, about a yard above the ground, into a slush mound in Snowdin Forest. I was fortunate enough to land on top of the heap, and Ink was unfortunate enough to land on the bottom. Despite this, he bounded up within moments of impact, sending Dream and me sprawling once more.

"Never again!" Ink exclaimed, evidently shaken, wearing a tight circle in the snow as he paced. Dream helped me up.

"sorry…" I muttered, feeling awful. "maybe you shoulda left me behind…"

"It's alright," Dream comforted, "these sort of missions rarely go smoothly. Also," he pointed out, "things would have gone a lot worse if you hadn't hidden us in the first place."

"There was nothing…" Ink murmured to himself, sockets hollow. Dream and I turned to him. He seemed to sense this, and his eye lights came back on. "Did you find anything? Anything at all?"

"Nothing missing from the cupboards or the room as far as I could see," Dream sighed. Ink's expression turned injured at this.

"Serif? Did you?" he asked hopefully.

I began to shake my head when I stopped short; there was the empty bin, and the blue scrap. I had forgotten about it in the panic of the moment. Pondering for a minute, a memory came to the forefront of my mind. _when error attacked us, the strings seemed to come from his fingertips, so why…_

"it's probably nothing…" I started slowly, "but doesn't error make his own string?" Ink looked puzzled.

"Yeah, it's magic," he affirmed. I dug in my hoodie pocket.

"then, is it possible he stole an entire bin of it?" I concluded, holding up the string and shred of blue as evidence. Dream and Ink peered at the scraps intently. "there was a nearly empty box in the closet," I explained. Hesitantly, they each picked up a piece and inspected them. A minute later, they swapped, then simultaneously, both gasped and said—

"Blueberry!"

"Blueberry!"

"what? did he leave that stuff? how do you know? is he here?" I asked hopefully. Ink's eyes flickered spastically through new symbols excitedly.

"Not likely, but he _was_ here!" Ink exclaimed.

"Blue loves to knit," Dream explained, "Perhaps Error searched for some yarn on his request! And he brought Blue here to choose the colors!"

"The proof: this fabric is a piece of Blueberry's scarf! He musta left it here in hopes either we or Cherry would find it!" Ink stared at it in awe. "Error was telling the truth. Blue's still alive."

This was fantastic news to say the least. But the elation of the moment was shattered as a loud yell split the silence—

"SANS!"


	21. Chapter 19- Purpose

We dropped on instinct, hiding behind the bushes. Despite the fact the call came from relatively far away, it was still enough to scare us senseless. Peaking over the ice encrusted leaves, I caught glimpse of Fell Papyrus stomping down the snowy trail. My eyes followed his path and ended on Cherry's sentry station, where he still slept, oblivious to the nearing danger. Ink and Dream saw what I saw and made the same connections.

"For Blue's sake, I hope he doesn't get dusted," Ink whispered. Dream frowned, but didn't say anything in Cherry's defense.

"is blue truly his only friend among you guys?" I asked. "is cherry really all that bad?" Ink frowned too, now, and murmured—

"He punched me in the face once…"

With that lovely explanation out of the way, Papyrus neared. We went silent as we watched him stalk right up to the station, silently fuming at Cherry, who was somehow still sound asleep. _heh,_ I thought to myself, _the walk in the snow must have cooled his temper._ But the silence only lasted a few seconds as Papyrus clenched his fists tightly at his side, leaned forward, slammed his boot into the ground, and roared—

" _SANS!_ "

Cherry jumped about a foot and let out a startled shriek. He jerked back in surprise, a little too far, and tumbled right out of his seat. The fall was emphasized by a dull _thud_ in the snow. He stumbled to his feet.

Thanks to my vantage point, I could see Cherry relatively well. His eye lights were red, just like his brother's, the left currently glowing extra bright, likely due to the soul-stopping scare a moment ago. His faltering smile was jagged, a single gold tooth standing out from the rest. A scarlet tee-shirt was beneath the black jacket I had observed earlier. The beige fluff on the hood was about as spiked as his nerves.

"heya b-boss… what's up?" Cherry stammered, evidently fearful.

"WHAT IS UP? WHAT IS UP!? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IS UP, SANS. I JUST GOT WORD FROM UNDYNE THAT YOU HAVEN'T SHOWN UP AT YOUR POST IN HOTLANDS _FOR TWO WHOLE DAYS!_ " Papyrus yelled furiously. If it was possible for a skeleton to pale, I was sure that's what Cherry would be doing. He tried to take a casual step back, but almost stumbled.

"w-what? nah, she's exaggerating. i was there… a few hours ago. she musta missed me," Cherry insisted. Papyrus let out a strangled sound of frustration and stalked around the side of the sentry station. Cherry scrambled the other way, desperate to keep away from his brother.

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Papyrus growled. Unfortunately for Cherry, he tripped over the laces of his own tennis shoes and fell back into the snow. Papyrus snatched him by the jacket collar and yanked him up to eye level. "TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

"i was there, i was there! i swear it!" Cherry exclaimed.

"AND NOT JUST AT THAT TACKY HOT DOG STAND OF YOURS?" Papyrus challenged.

"n…no! i checked into my station first thing! promise!"

Papyrus glared daggers at Cherry for a few more seconds. After delivering a harsh flick upside the skull, he dropped the stressed Sans back to the ground.

"YOU LAZY TRASH BAG," Papyrus spat, "YOU'RE NOT WORTH THE DIRT YOU WALK ON." I couldn't tell due to the distance, but I sensed Cherry flinched at this.

"… i'm sorry bro, i'll try harder if that's what you really—" Papyrus suddenly whirled on him again.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" Cherry definitely flinched.

"i'm sorry! it just slipped out, sorry… boss," he finished.

"BETTER," Papyrus said, then turned back towards the path and started stomping away.

"where you off to?" Cherry asked.

"HOME." At this, something changed in Cherry's demeanor, and he stood.

"in that case, maybe..." Papyrus glanced back; a disapproving frown lingered on his face. "…maybe i'll catch up on lost patrolling time," Cherry finished, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets.

"DOESN'T MATTER TO ME WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR FREE TIME," Papyrus snapped, then continued homeward. Once the footfalls faded, all was silent. Then, Cherry muttered—

"huh. didn't kill me. i'm okay." Shrugging slightly, he sighed. "live to dust another day."

It was at this point that Ink nudged me.

"Time to get out of here," he whispered, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the portal Dream had opened up. I nodded and started after him. But, just as I took a step, inexplicably, I stopped. Glancing back, I saw that Cherry was still gazing down the path. He hadn't moved.

I felt… something. I don't know how to describe it. All I knew was that… I was supposed to do… well, something. Hesitantly, I turned back, no longer crouching. There was a tug at my soul. Slowly, lifting my left hand, I began reaching out. Ink noticed I was no longer following him and turned.

"Serif, no!" he whispered. "What are you doing?" I wanted to explain, but, didn't know myself. A blue glow engulfed my hand. Ink freaked out, hurrying towards me. "Don't ping him! He'll feel it!" I reached out… found his soul… "We can't—" Suddenly, right as I pinged Cherry, two things happened almost simultaneously. There was a flash of gold at the base of my vision, and a loud crackling sound as Ink tripped over a fallen log and face planted headlong into the twiggy bushes.

Cherry snapped to attention and whirled to the treeline. Eye flaming brightly and arm raised, he summoned a Gaster Blaster, which now awaited his command to fire. My soul froze over as our gazes met. For a long moment, we stared at each other. But then Cherry scanned the rest of the shadows, ignoring me entirely. Since Ink was in the bushes and Dream had ducked, I was the only one he could see. Or, _should_ see.

After a minute, Cherry murmured something about dead trees dropping branches and seemed to reluctantly relax again. His left eye light dimmed back to normal, the blaster disappeared, and he returned to staring down the path.

Silence.

A backwards glance at the other skeles told me they could still see me. Ink had righted himself from the plant as carefully as if he was playing Jenga. Dream was once again peaking over the foliage. Both of them looked on in confusion, but as Dream's gaze shifted, his eyes widened in surprise. I followed his line of sight back to Cherry. And I saw it.

His soul was pinged, yes, and he didn't seem to notice, but that wasn't the surprising thing. The shocker was the sight of bruised blotches of shimmering gold hovering over the surface of his soul. Streaks of it glowed beneath his eyes; past tears. A few scattered scars.

This was like what had happened to me… right?

I glanced at my hand. The magic holding Cherry's soul was no longer blue. It was gold. And, further up my arm, the glow continued. I was completely covered in a gold haze. Somehow, I knew this was why he couldn't see me. I hesitated, but a feeling of concern in my soul compelled me a few steps forward, and I asked—

"are… are you okay?" I'm pretty sure Ink was withering inside, convinced I had a soon-to-be-granted death wish. But it seemed Cherry hadn't heard me. Then, right as I was sure he hadn't, he slowly sank to the snowy ground, pulled his knees to his chest and chin to knees, sighed and sadly murmured—

"who am i kidding. i'm not okay." At this, Dream gasped quietly. Hesitating once more, I slowly took a few steps forward; I was but a few inches from the edge of the shadows.

"what's wrong?" I asked, a tad bit louder this time. Cherry seemed to ponder for a moment.

"life's not fair," he announced. Evidently he believed he was just thinking out loud instead of holding a conversation.

"that's true," I agreed, smiling slightly, "but, surely it's a bit more specific than that," I encouraged, cautiously taking quiet steps towards him; my slippers didn't leave footprints behind me, let alone crunch in the snow.

"i wish…" Cherry frowned, as if he was only just now working this out. "i know it's 'kill or be killed' here, but… well, i guess i don't wanna live like…" he paused, thinking. "i wish paps wasn't so harsh on me? he typically forgets i exist until i screw something up… it'd be nice if he cared, at least a little, i think. i wish he was more my bro instead of my boss," he finally concluded.

I was right beside Cherry now. He still didn't sense my presence. Nervously, I waved my hand in front of his face. No reaction. _he really can't see me._ Upon this realization, after a moment of thought, I sat next to him in the snow, pointlessly watching the same path, staring down at the same snow.

"you care about papyrus?" I asked.

"i care about him," murmuring, Cherry affirmed. "i've cared about him—no, _loved_ him from the day he was born, though, i never showed it very well. yet he _hates_ me. it really sucks."

"well, maybe he doesn't hate you," I pointed out. "you said yourself you're not good at showing you actually care, maybe he's bad at it too."

A different expression grew in Cherry's face. A new realization was dawning on him. He lifted his gaze from the snow to the bridge in the distance.

"i suppose… it's _possible_ he doesn't actually _hate_ me. maybe he's just as bad at being a normal brother as i am." Cherry seemed to latch on to this hope for a moment, but then sagged again. "no, it's just stupid. how could i ever find out? _ask him?_ no, that's so dumb, he'd see me as foolish or just dust me for being weak."

"you could try being kind first," I suggested. "then, you can see if he reciprocates or not. given enough time, he's bound to; after all, you two are family." Cherry blinked in surprise.

"well, i could try—" he went silent for a long time, then stood. Brushing the powdery snow from his clothes, he started down the path, and with a last murmur of " _bro…",_ he jogged homewards. The snow beneath me crunched softly as the gold haze around me shimmered away.

It finally sank in. I got it. The gold energy that had once healed me, inspired me to hold on to hope—I now commanded it. And I could use it to heal others. Based on what I'd learned about the Alternate Universes, I knew that generally, most Sanses had lost all hope. They'd given up, just like I had. But, with what little power I had left, I had a chance to save someone else. This was my purpose. There was still Hope.


	22. Chapter 20- The Worst Nightmare

So, I had the power of Hope. In the same way humans had power over Determination, along with the soul qualities of Bravery, Justice, Kindness, Patience, Integrity, and Perseverance—I had Hope. After visiting a few more AUs with Ink and Dream, I finally understood.

Hope is not born of a carefree life. On the contrary, it blossoms from a life of pain. As long as that pain doesn't get the better of a person, they have Hope; it's as strong as Determination. And I had it emanating from my very being.

By pinging souls gold, I could find hurt that needed to be healed, the scars that obscured the chance of a happy future. The moment both a soul and myself were encased in gold, I was invisible to the one pinged. I could talk to them and hear their silent thoughts like a breeze rustling autumn leaves. I was the whisper in the back of their minds, encouraging them to not give up. It filled them with Hope. Once they accepted it, the gold seeped into their soul, and both Hope and Health Points were restored. Perhaps they were the same thing.

Lately, whenever I summoned Gaster Blasters, their lights were now tinted gold. They were larger, slightly faster, and more attuned to my wishes than I remembered. Strangely, I discovered I could also summon a sphere of light, similar to that of the blaster's beams. After experimenting with it for a few days, I came to an astoundingly profound conclusion: it did nothing. It was completely harmless. It dealt no damage points nor healed them. So, if I ever got bored, I could play with my glowing, watermelon-sized marble. Fun times. Add that to the list of unexplainable things in the universe—or, _universes_.

As for the rest of my skill set, things remained mostly unchanged. The wings were never a mystery; they were meant for flying. Thankfully, I had managed to master the skill. Glitch teleporting was harder to control. I'd used it when I had protected Papyrus for the last time in my world and when I escaped Error's strings. It was faster than typical teleporting, which normally required a short leap through space. This kind of shortcut was instantaneous, from point A to point B in zero-point-zero seconds flat. That was, if I didn't simply phase through things. It had happened a few more times on accident, but I was bound to get it under control sooner or later.

Since the visit to UnderFell, we'd visited a handful of other AUs, settling minor scuffles or glitches as we went. But… the real battle had yet to begin.

In hindsight, I believe the majority of my perilous days begin as boring.

My mind was drifting around like a newborn butterfly in a summer breeze; aimless, untethered, and easily distracted. Ink's explanation of interlocking AUs had been dragging on for a few hours; he kept losing his train of thought and starting over. It took all my willpower to stay awake, let alone pay attention. I doodled lazily, just nodding occasionally or giving a little _"um-hmm"_ of affirmation as Ink jabbered.

"So! For example, since UnderSwap has so many opportunities for variation, things like SwapFell, ButtonTale, RebornTale, and—" Ink stopped to think. "Hmm, you know what? Now that I'm listing them—why are there so many weird spin offs of UnderSwap? I mean, it's such a nice universe, why are so many of the alternations kinda messed up? I mean, SwapFell!Sans, he… ah…" Ink's eye lights went out. He frowned and concluded—"SwapFell has problems." There was an awkward pause. "What were we talking about again?" I stifled a sigh, but decided to be _patient_ and _persevere_ in being _kind_.

"underswap alternations," I answered. My flat voice hurt my own ears. But Ink didn't seem to notice.

"UnderSwap! Ah, yes! Thank you, Serif,"

"um-hmm," I murmured.

"So! As I was saying, there are so many spin offs of UnderSwap, like ButtonTale, RebornTale, SwapFell… SwapFell is really weird, ya know? I mean…" _oh, good grief. here we go again. i swear i've heard this spiel at least four times in the past half hour._ "… Rather unfortunate character flaws, but amazing design! And—"

Ink slowed to a stop, his eye lights flickering nervously. Just as I was about to remind him of the lesson's topic for the fifth time, he gasped and sprang up.

"Oh my goodness," he breathed, then shouted "DREAM—" Dream leapt from a portal even as the words left Ink's mouth. Landing with a roll to keep up his momentum, he flung open another portal ahead of him and affirmed—

"I felt it too. MelonTale. Hurry!" Jumping up, clueless but trusting, I followed close on Ink's heels as he sprinted for the swirling gateway.

"An AU is under attack," Ink explained. "Get ready for battle." And with that, we plunged into the portal.

The moment my feet touched the ground, the world was pitched into chaos. We were in Snowdin. Or, what was left of it. Past me darted panicking townspeople. They were fleeing the west side of town. Where the forest ended and civilization began, bright bursts of bubblegum pink and lime green, and deep blue and red flashed. The very ground winced at the sound of an explosion. _danger, straight ahead._ We forged onwards. I managed to catch a glimpse of the catastrophic fight that was shredding the foundations of the world.

I recognized the two combatants as Error and Melon!Sans. Melon dashed around, summoning enormous green Gaster Blasters, their eyes blazing pink, their beams even brighter. He was missing one of his green slippers, and even as I watched, he kicked the other one away. His shorts were of the same lime as his abandoned shoes, the side-stripe as red as candy, same as the horizontal band on his evergreen jacket. The cherry red, black speckled tufts on his hood were missing some chunks. Beneath, the light pink sweater showed a few tears—too close to bone for comfort. Despite the distance, I could see his dominant eye ablaze, watermelon pink. He wasn't holding back.

Error launched attack after attack, almost relaxed in stature. He wasn't afraid of losing this fight. In fact, it seemed Melon wasn't even the one he was attacking. The Destroyer aimed his efforts at a tight, tangled cage of bone attacks: a protection field of sorts. Beneath the white walls, I could pick out the hunched form of Melon!Papyrus. While Watermelon's appearance resembled that of a, well, watermelon, Papyrus's mirrored a cantaloupe.

He cradled something close in his orange gloves, trying to shield it from the danger. The ends of his scarf, akin in color, were wrapped around the object as if to keep it warm. His "armor" was composed of vertical stripes of pear and pine green, completed with orange belt and bootstraps. He watched the fight with wide, terrified eyes, flinching each time Error's attacks shattered Melon's.

We were almost in range of them.

"Watermelon!" Dream yelled, "Over here!"

Melon glanced up, barely dodging a spike of blue threads. At first, all I read in his face was concern. But then his confused gaze landed on me. After glancing between the three of us, as if doing the math, there was a flash of slight recognition. Though I couldn't hear over the distance, I'm pretty sure he said " _Blueberry."_ Turning to Papyrus, he exclaimed " _RUN!"_ and the walls dropped.

Papyrus scrambled to his feet, sprinting towards the three of us; Melon was close at his heels, occasionally turning to deflect attacks. Now I saw what Papyrus was holding: a human soul. The human of their world was literally in the palm of his hand.

They were gonna make it. Just as the last gap of distance was closing, there was a gut-wrenching noise. A cacophony of cracks. Papyrus came to a skidding stop, horror registering in his eyes, and whirled. Melon had been hit. Spikes of threads impaled him from behind. His face was blank with shock and pain. Papyrus didn't even hesitate. He ran back. Despite our cries, he dashed straight towards his doom. Glitchy laughter filled the air as Error cruelly yanked the strings back. Right as Papyrus reached his brother, catching him before he could hit the ground, Melon turned to dust in his arms.

Horrorstricken, Papyrus numbly clutched the colorful jacket as Error reared for another attack. In a split second, Ink yanked the yellow and green paint vials from his sash. Shattering the yellow, a bow materialized in his clenched fist. The green formed a long arrow. Not even slowing to take aim, Ink launched the projectile at Papyrus. The arrow exploded in a burst of green, solidifying into a protection bubble just as a pounding torrent of a harsh Blaster laser engulfed Papyrus. The light cleared. The bubble was breaking—but Papyrus was not. Ink launched into action.

"Serif! Protect Cantaloupe and the human soul! Dream! Flank me!"

I skidded to a stop in front of the fragile bubble. I threw a quick glance back. Confusion mingled with the sorrow as Papyrus gaped at me, seeing this reflection of his brother. _i'm sorry… i know what that feels like…_ Snapping my attention back to the battle, I prepared to fight for all I was worth. Even though the attacks were less often, thanks to Ink and Dream distracting Error, the strings just kept coming. I summoned a Gaster Blaster, blocking a barrage of sharp black bone shards. Pinging up a chunk of ground, I let the stone and clay absorb needles of strings. Bone attacks of my own met Error's midair.

There was a sound behind me. I whirled right as a black mass slammed into my chest, almost breaking a rib. I was thrown onto the ground, held there by the darkness as it spread out, covering me like a huge sticky blanket of tar. A new skeleton materialized from the shadows. My eyes widened in horror. He looked just like Classic… except for the fact he was made of dripping black. It consumed him, save for his left eye, which blazed blue. Three tentacle like things extended from behind his shoulders, the fourth currently holding me to the ground.

The few seconds of stargazing came to an end as my skull stopped spinning. Before the black could reach my arm, I yanked it up, summoned a blast of bone shards, and flung them at him. To my horror, the moment the attacks touched the tar, they sizzled like acid and were absorbed by the darkness. The dripping skeleton evidentially read my dismay. He tipped his head to the side.

"You _actually_ thought such a pathetic attack could stop me?"

I shivered. That voice… But before I could deal with this new threat, I heard a different sound. Shattering. The green bubble shattered as Error's death-blue strings slammed into the barrier. For a split second in time, as I craned to glance behind me, I saw the fear in Papyrus's face as another volley of threads shot through the air. _i won't fail, i won't let him die!_

In desperation, on instinct, I shut my eyes tight and focused all my magic energy. Even with my eyes closed, I could see the explosion of light. The strings ricocheted in all directions as they collided with a bright golden bubble. The glowing marble! It wasn't an attack; it was a shield. When I opened my eyes, I found the dark skeleton was much closer, yet he didn't seem to have moved.

"You should not have done that," he warned, voice sickly sweet like venom.

I tried to block out the words. Upon discovering I couldn't teleport, in hopes of turning invisible, I tried to ping him gold. But the moment the magic wrapped around his soul, the gold morphed black. Agony spiked into my soul. My breath hitched and I screamed, my very being stuttering in pain. The black hastily covered my mouth.

"You shouldn't have done that either," the shadowed creature laughed. Fear filled me at the sound of his voice. " _Ah, pain and fear. I love the combination."_ I would have shrieked had I been able. I had heard him in my head, clear as day, sharp as a knife. _who… who?!_ He smiled. _"I am your worst Nightmare. The more afraid you are, the easier this will be, so don't fight it."_

The grip tightened a bit. New fears sprouted in my mind. I felt short of breath. The lightly acidic goop slowly started seeping into the gaps between my bones. I winced. _"A puppet feels no pain, as you will soon enough."_ Tighter. _"All you have to do is one little thing…"_ His words were working deep into my consciousness.

Cantaloupe pounded on the sphere, shouting to the others to come save me. But nobody came. The sound of his cries were growing muffled; another tar tentacle was enveloping the bubble. _"Just one thing. It's simple."_ Tighter still. It was hardening. Black was oozing too close to my eyes. It was getting between my ribs, too close to my soul. _what is it? what do you want?!_ I thought desperately, delirious panic taking grip of my mind. His smile grew. _"Just... let go."_

My thoughts stuttered. That was all he wanted? _it'd be… so easy. tired. maybe… let go…? so… easy…_ The world's spinning began to blur together. _"Just let him go… I'll make it quick."_ This caught my attention. _him?_ The skeleton's smile faltered. _"Drop the protection shield,"_ he ordered, forcefully this time. Something in my mind suddenly kicked, fighting back… and my senses snapped back into place.

I felt a burst of fury and energy. My attacker suddenly shrieked, withdrawing the goop from the bubble as it emitted a strong burst of crackling light. _you can't have him!_ I thought defiantly. " _Wrong_ _answer_." Instantly, smothering, crushing pain encased my soul. My bones felt like they were snapping. The last thing I heard as black ate at my vision was the audible growl— _"_ You _definitely_ shouldn't have done _that_! _"_

Suddenly, there was a flash of light. The black twitched back. I caught a glimpse of Dream dropping onto the ground between me and my doom.

"Nightmare! Stop this!" Dream exclaimed. To my utmost relief, the goop pulled away from my soul, likely due to the distraction.

"Get out of my way, Dream," Nightmare demanded. "Or do you want to fight me?" It felt as though the body of the tentacle was raising.

"I'll do neither," Dream replied firmly.

"I said, flee or fight," Nightmare snarled dangerously. The weight on my chest was lifting, leaving but a thick, hardened band holding me down.

"Release Serif first," Dream insisted. Too late, I realized what was happening. A smile cracked up Nightmare's face as he shrugged and said—

"As you wish." The tentacle ripped off my chest and slammed into Dream from behind. In an instant, he was enveloped in a coiling vice grip and yanked face to face with Nightmare. He chuckled as Dream writhed; a freakish gray material began vining up him, turning his thrashing limbs dead. "You fool. Your weak light and irrational standards cannot overcome darkness," he taunted. _light. light! nightmare hates light!_

I snapped out my wings as hard as I could. The case-hardened tar shattered. Thrusting upwards with my wings, I shot into the air, summoned a ring of Gaster Blasters, and flung both my hands forward with all my might. The blasters fired. Blinding beams engulfed the two skeletons. With a shriek, Nightmare dropped Dream. I took the plunge. Swooping dangerously low, I grabbed Dream, who was surprisingly heavy; we only remained airborne for a few seconds, but my momentum was enough to get us away from Nightmare. Coming to a tumbling stop and releasing my friend to the ground, I whirled and summoned Blasters. Seven more had fired before Dream cried out—

"NO! Don't hurt him!"

 _wha… what?_ In my moment of hesitation, Nightmare recovered and sent a shaft of spiked tar our way. I dodged it, tripping over Dream, who was struggling to stand. To my horror, I realized what the gray was and why Dream was so heavy; he was partially _turned to stone._ Yes, it was beginning to fade, but not fast enough. Neither of us were strong enough to teleport, let alone defeat this enemy. I couldn't form another shield without dropping the other. _only one shield, only one choice._

"dream! do you trust me?" I asked.

"I… y-yes?" Dream answered shakily, fighting to stay on his feet.

"good," I replied, "because this is a long shot. hold on tight."

Leaping skyward once more, I gained as much momentum as I could, folded my wings, and dove. Racing to beat Nightmare's next attack, I reached out, snatching Dream just in time, and flung my wings out again. The stone was crumbling, but he was still a deadweight. Coasting a few feet from the ground, I twisted, dodging attacks as I zoomed for the bubble. Just as we reached it, I dissolved the walls for a split second. Dropping Dream into Papyrus's outstretched arms, I overshot and let the walls reform behind me. Dream cried out after me, begging me to return to safety, but despite how tired I was… I had to draw Nightmare's attention away from the bubble.

Within minutes of death defying taunts, right as I started to falter—Nightmare stopped. It was as if he was listening to something in his head. A terrifying smile spread across his face. He shot a chilling glance my way and literally melted into the shadows. He was gone. About the same time, I realized the sounds of battle had gone silent. Ink, breathing hard, holding his shoulder, stumbled over to me as I landed.

"You okay?" he asked concernedly.

"i'm fine. but you're hurt," I pointed out. Ink shook his head.

"It was only one blow. I'll be fine."

I glanced over to the bubble and let the walls drop. Dream was on his feet, stoneless once again, hands holding up the hovering soul of Determination. Even as I watched, the human reformed around the glowing red mass. After exchanging words with the child and Papyrus, he turned and walked towards us. Uncharacteristically monotone, he announced—

"Melon, Cantaloupe, and Strawberry Frisk will be fine. Reset in twenty seconds. We have that long to get out of here."

He opened a portal, leapt through, and was gone.


	23. Chapter 21- Rainbow Ink (Apples)

The moment we made it back to the Doodle Sphere, before the portal even finished closing, Dream walked off.

"dream!" He paused at my call, not bothering to turn. "what on earth just happened? why'd nightmare single you out? and was that _stone?_ how, why?! are you ok?" I asked in a rush. But, when he didn't answer—"are you alright?" He resumed walking again.

"Thanks for saving me, Serif…" he said quietly, opening a portal in front of him. "I'm gonna… I'll be back later." And with that, he stepped through the swirl of light. I threw a concerned and confused look at Ink, who was still holding his shoulder, staring at the empty space Dream disappeared into.

"is he ok?" I asked, wings sagging tiredly.

"No," Ink answered. "But he will be."

"you gonna tell me what's going on?" I pressed.

"Not likely," Ink admitted. "It's not my story to tell." He frowned, but I sensed it wasn't because of my question.

"and you?" I asked. "are you ok?" He nodded. Glancing down at his hurt shoulder, he blinked confusedly at the liquid rainbow slowly beginning to slip from between his fingers, and murmured— _"How did…?"_

"you gonna heal that?" I prompted, trying to jog his memory without recounting the entire battle.

Ink blinked again, his eye lights flickering nervously through symbols; a red asterisk and a purple swirl, an up-side-down exclamation mark and a jagged lightning bolt, then various types of scattered triangles and dots. _hmm,_ I noted, _those are new._ Ink seemed to remember something.

"Oh, yeah. Dream…" he murmured incoherently. "Well… there was a tree." He started to pace, but ended up staggering around aimlessly. "Lots of apples. Apples, apples, apples… Yellow and gold, purple and black. Black and black, gold and blue… Grey. And red, red too." He sounded out of breath, despite the fact he silently gasped for air between every few words. "Apples, then there was… tree. All gone, broken crowns… white and grey…"

"ink, calm down!" I exclaimed, hurrying after him. "what are you going on about?" he murmured something about memory-bells and I put the pieces together. "you're talking about dream? it's fine, you don't have to explain! and stop hyperventilating, you don't even need to breathe!" Ink didn't answer. "what is up with you two today?" I muttered in exasperation, letting him wander a few more feet on his own, deciding to watch for a while. Surely he'd go back to his usual self soon.

Suddenly, Ink froze. He twitched for a few seconds, went rigid, and barfed a torrent of ink. Normally, I'd not pay this any mind; it happened a lot. But, normally, the ink was black—not rainbow. I frowned. _that's also new._ After a long display of artworks, the torrent stopped. Ink appeared to do the equivalent of a human hiccup.

"Colors…?" he murmured, looking exceedingly confused. "So many…" He noticed the trickle of rainbow by his mouth that hadn't evaporated yet. Pulling the back of his sleeve across his face, he gazed at it blankly. A flinch. The light in the air flickered. _something's wrong._

"ink?" He turned to look at me distractedly; his face was flushed rainbow. "what's wrong?" I demanded, frightened. He blinked through a few confused shapes before answering.

"i think…" he whispered, unbelievably quiet. "i think i'll just t-take a nap…" He slowly sank to the ground, sat—stared ahead for a few seconds, eyes faltering—and suddenly collapsed to the floor.

I was by his side in a flash teleport.

"ink?!" I exclaimed, shaking him lightly. "oh my goodness, answer me!" Nothing. "please, you're scaring me. wake up! you can nap later, just tell me you're okay now!" Nothing.

Rolling him from his side to his back, I balked at the amount of rainbow now soaking the front of his shirt. His shoulder still wasn't healed, and his HP was dropping at an alarming rate.

"dream, help!" I cried. Silence. "dream! where are you?!" Usually, he came running whenever I needed him. But not this time. The light flickered again, going from white to grey. Looking back to Ink, I saw him flinch slightly as his vague HP bar swooped from the yellow warning range into the red danger zone. He needed to be healed, now! I was exhausted from battle, I couldn't do this alone... _but i gotta try._

Right as my magic reached out to find his soul, I remembered he didn't have one; all that could kill him was complete destruction or corruption of body. The paint vials kept him alive, gave him his emotions. Perhaps I could ping them instead? Deciding to give it a try, I glanced down to the sash to where the bottles were attached. But to my horror, I realized that, not only were they un-pingable, but they were losing their color. The tips of the glass hearts were turning grey.

There was no time. It was Save or Dust.

I'd only ever practiced soul-based healing. I'd never tried magic-to-monster healing. I only knew it in theory, not application… Time to _wing_ it. _here goes nothing._ Planting my hands over his injured shoulder, I summoned magic.

At first, it was just normal, heatless blue flame. Not good. I concentrated harder. The glow flickered, seemingly debating whether or not to just snuff out, let alone obey my wishes. _heal, please, heal…_ I could feel the rainbow slowly seeping between my fingers, instilling me with dread. Would he dust, or turn into a colorful puddle? I didn't want to find out. I called for Dream again. Nothing. The air in the Doodle Sphere went dark grey for a few seconds, the windows and wigglers momentarily freezing. Gritting my teeth, I let go of my last energy reserve and gave it all I had.

For a terrible moment, nothing happened. But then, the blue morphed into gold, the glow began to emit a gentle warmth, and Ink's HP froze. After letting out a strained, high-pitched sigh of relief, I felt my soul's thrumming return to a somewhat normal pace. _that was way too close._ The rainbow soaking his shirt started evaporating. Glancing at Ink's HP, I watched as, one point at a time, it slowly began to tick up.

About a minute went by without a hitch. But, as the wound healed, his HP slowly stopped increasing. I stared at it. It wasn't even half full! To my absolute horror, it began to drop again. I had no idea what could possibly be causing this, until—Ink flinched, his eyes deliriously drifting open for a few seconds—I saw the glitch boxes. It all snapped into place in my mind. Only one hit, Nightmare suddenly disappearing along with Error, the symbols, the scrambled rainbow colors… Ink had been infected with a virus.

"oh no…" I breathed. Sure enough, Ink literally glitched for a second, pieces of code falling out of and then snapping back into place. I needed Dream!

 _okay, think, think! alright, dream shows up when called… or when someone is scared or freaking out… what about both?_ I looked back to Ink as an idea sprouted in my mind. _i need to work myself into a panic._ Even though he was annoying sometimes, and I was occasionally all but convinced he was loony… even though I knew I'd go home one day and never see him again… I couldn't bear the thought of him dying. Latching on to that conclusion, I milked it for all it was worth.

 _dying. ink could die._ The tiniest pinch in my soul urged me to press on. _what would happen to all the alternate universes without their protector? what about the ones he made? could they even survive without him?_ I could feel my soul fluttering faster. _what about dream? and blueberry? and me; he's my friend. i can't let him die but i can't save him. he's gonna die right here and there's nothing i can do! i can't lose him too, i don't want him to die, he can't die, he just can't! he's gonna die, i don't want him to, but if i don't get help fast—ink is going to die!_ At a peak of panic, I took the biggest breath I could, faced the sky, and screamed—

" _DREAM!_ "

I have never ever seen anyone move so fast.

A few yards away, Dream shot as though from a cannon through a portal and rolled like a tumbleweed for a few feet. Leaping up, he exclaimed—

"Serif! Are you okay?!" The relief was overwhelming.

"i'm fine. ink's not" I summarized. Dream caught glimpse of Ink past the edges of my drooping wings. He came running.

"He's _asleep_?!" Dream balked, coming to a sliding stop beside me.

"yeah, red flag number one, but that's not the worst part," I explained, and snapped my fingers right beside Ink's head. He flinched slightly, eyes flickering open for a few seconds once more. But that was all Dream needed.

"A virus…" Dream breathed in dismay.

"we gotta heal him, i can hardly keep it up as is," I pointed out. Dream noticed the remaining rainbow stains and the golden glow keeping it from getting worse. His eyes got wider. Gasping, he exclaimed—

 _"_ _We_ _need_ _to_ _get_ _him_ _somewhere_ _happy!_ " Dumbfounded, I stared at Dream blankly for a moment. _that's his solution?_ Dream caught my glance and hastily explained—"I need happiness to heal. The happier the place, the stronger the magic!"

"oh, k. when you put it that way… good idea," I hastily agreed. "where to?"

"I… I don't know… Usually UnderSwap's the best universe, but—it's completely empty right now…" For a moment, all was silent. Glancing at Dream, I observed the slight flicker in his eye lights, the distraught expression on his face worsening; he wasn't ready to deal with this. The same conclusion seemed to sink in for Dream _._ In horror, he whispered—" _I should never have left him…"_

"dream," I insisted, desperate to clear his head, "in battle, you left him to save me. and just now, you left him to gather your frayed nerves. neither of us knew this'd happen; it's not your fault. but it'll be both our faults if we don't save him _now._ focus!" Chewing on these words for a moment, he nodded.

"Okay, think, think… happy, peaceful…" He shut his eyes tightly, thinking hard. "OH! That's it! Love!" I shook my head.

"ah, no. we don't want any LOV. bad idea dream. try again."

"No, not Levels Of ViolencE, actual _love_! HavenTale! 'In this world, it's love and be loved!'" He turned, formed a portal a few yards away, jumped up, locked his arms beneath Ink's, and started pulling. "Come on!" I scrambled to his assistance.

"why do you always open portals so far away?" I challenged.

"It's dangerous not to. No one wants to fall between the floorboards of time and space," he explained, dragging Ink faster, leaving me struggling to keep up. True, we skeletons are pretty light, but Dream had both the easy side and the longer stride. I was short; keeping Ink's feet high enough off the ground was burden enough. Just as we made it to the portal—"Hang on tight."

"why?"

"Without consciousness to keep him on the path, Ink could get ripped away by the current."

"wait, _what?!_ maybe we should figure out a safer way— _"_

Too late.


	24. Chapter 22- Tale of Two Brothers

The moment Dream pulled us off the ground of the Doodle Sphere, I knew it was going to be a fight. We were yanked away so fast it felt as though I'd left my soul behind. The center of our path was a rushing river of blinding light. On either side were rapids churning in the opposite direction, leading to who knows where.

I sensed the imbalance almost immediately. We were being pulled to the left. Before I could do anything to correct our course, I came in painful contact with the sides. It felt like I was being dragged through a sandstorm that was rasping away at my very existence. Ink almost followed me in. In desperation, I unfurled my right wing. Despite the horrid pain, the plan worked perfectly; it tilted us back to the center.

Dream seemed to be running into the same problem. But upon the second time of him correcting the course, it suddenly sent the three of us spinning out of control. I tried to hug tighter to Ink, as did Dream. I sensed we still had a few seconds in this current. It was doubtful we'd make it. Magic didn't work in here. I couldn't form a protection bubble. We just had to hang on…

Right as my grip gave away, we were pitched as a tumbling mess through a lush patch of soft yellow flowers. Desperate, I struggled to my hands and knees. Through my churning vision, I managed to find Ink and reengage the healing magic. A few seconds later, the glow was joined by yet another golden, encompassing light: Dream's magic. There was a tense pause. Would our combined powers be enough? Then, a few seconds later—Ink's HP started increasing.

We both collapsed pathetically back to the ground, letting out synchronized sighs of relief as we tried to regain our bearings.

"never… again," I insisted. I assume the blurred motion to my left was Dream nodding his head.

Just as my mind began to recover, there was a rustling sound somewhere to the right and beneath me. Dream gasped, rolled for Ink and I, and teleported. We dropped onto an overgrown platform. From the safety of the ledge, high on the wall, I observed a cute, pinkish-white flower pop up in the field where we had been moments before. I assumed it was the Flowey of this world.

"Hello?" the tiny plant ventured. "Is someone there?" A glance at Dream told me not to answer. Flowey looked concernedly around, scanning the recesses of the cave. The big, curious eyes didn't seem sinister. Upon his search turning up empty, Flowey tilted his head back, gazing up through the fissure in the earth. The sun fell on his happy little yellow face, and he smiled, soaking the light in. His expression made me realize he was harmless. A few minutes passed in silence. Then, from across the caverns, I heard a soft call—

"Flowey? Where did you go?" The flower turned back.

"Sorry Frisk. I thought I heard something," he called. Pulling at his roots, he opened a tiny crack in the dirt and disappeared down it. The ground closed behind him. A few more minutes passed in silence. Then, Dream declared—

"Coast is clear. We gotta stay quiet." I sighed slightly in relief, inexpressibly weary from all the soul-stopping scares of the day.

"I take it HavenTale isn't aware of the AUs?" I asked. Dream nodded.

"Correct. It would be best if our presence here goes unnoticed." There was a long, silent pause, during which Dream mostly stared tiredly ahead or at Ink.

"you know…" I started carefully, "you never answered my last question." Dream shot me a puzzled glance. I met his gaze, tried a sympathetic smile, and asked—"are you alright?" There was a moment of hesitation, then Dream sighed.

"I'm alright," Dream affirmed, a light smile on his face. Another pause. "I suppose… I didn't actually answer _any_ of your questions." He stopped, thinking. Eventually, after a long wait, he gazed up towards the sunlight far above, and said—"Once upon a time, there was a tree."

Since "once upon a time" means story time, I sat back and got comfortable, hoping I'd finally get some answers. Exhausted though I was, I was determined to not fall asleep. Dream continued.

"From the tree sprouted an entire universe. Two brothers, the prince-children of the tree, cared for the apples that grew on it. One cared for the side covered in golden fruit, the personification of happiness and light; the other looked after the side with dark fruit, the personification of worry and night. Together, they protected the fragile balance of a peaceful world."

 _golden apples, embodiment of happiness… dream must have been one of the caretakers. well, i guess that's why he always has a cloud of apple-scent following him._ I tried to hide my grin. The mental image of Dream diving into a crate of apples didn't seem so farfetched anymore.

"People came from far and wide to see the tree. The golden fruit was praised, but the dark fruit was unnoticed or feared, same as the prince that cared for it. His cheerful brother didn't share in the foolish prejudice, but, the admiration of one person is not enough; the Dark Child fell into despair, and the Gold Child failed to notice the warning signs."

I began to sense a hint of remorse in Dream's tone. He was staring straight ahead, now, absentmindedly fiddling with one of the buttercups. Ink seemed to detect the change in his friend's mood and stopped twitching and murmuring in his sleep; it was as if he too was listening to the tale.

"The lonely child went behind his mother's and brother's back and took one of the golden apples. He wished to prove he could care for them just as well, that his fruit was beautiful too… but it was all for naught. The moment he touched the fruit, it withered. The tree turned black. Everyone was fearful and filled with anger at the prince, and, cornered, he did something drastic; he ate the dark fruit." Dream rested his head at the wall at his back, gazing up at the sunlight once more. "Worries, in moderation, keep us alive and safe. But when they become all-consuming… they morph into hate. The remaining prince had no choice but to confront his brother. He ate the last golden apple and fought to protect his world. But the power of many dark fruits could not be overcome by one golden apple. The child of Night won, destroyed the world and sealed his brother in a prison of stone for over an age. The Child of Light eventually broke free and escaped. It was then he became allies with The Artist, and, well…" He sighed and smiled wearily. "Here I am today."

Dream apparently decided he had spilled enough backstory, and turned to me, hoping the explanation was perfectly sufficient. My mind was balking. The pieces fell into place.

"nightmare's your brother," I breathed in shock. Dream nodded slightly. "so… that's why he singled you out. that really was stone. that's why—! oh goodness, that's why you didn't want to hurt him…" I murmured. Dream sighed.

"I'm sure I can still save him. I mean, he could have killed me when we first fought. He didn't. He just trapped me. So, he still cares, deep down. He's got to care… right?" He thought about all this, then asked—"Or am I just being optimistic?"

For a moment, I just stared at him, unsure what to think or say. But then, I grinned slightly.

"i'll be honest; i may have somewhat underestimated you. you're more than sunshine and lollipops. you're a lot braver than i thought." Dream seemed quite honored at this comment. His smile widened. "and, nah, you're not just being optimistic. you're right. there's still hope." Despite the fact he had no physical soul for me to ping nor gold to show for the hurt, I could have sworn I saw a slight shimmer of light.

Just as Dream was about to say something in response, all conversation came to a stop as Ink, delirious, as if dreaming, pathetically murmured—

"Mmm… apples…"

Dream and I exchanged a glance, grinned, and burst into hysterics. We tried to keep the volume level down so as not to draw attention, but it was hard.

"oh my goodness, he's at it _again,_ " I wheezed.

"How long has Ink been doing that?" Dream whispered, shaking with laughter.

"a long time," I replied, grinning so wide it hurt. After a few more laughs—

"Serif," Dream chuckled, "we gotta have a basket of apples waiting for Ink when he wakes up." I grinned.

"think he'll remember enough to understand?"

"Doubtful," Dream admitted, "but it'll make for a great inside joke between us."

We laughed some more. Soon, though, chuckles turned to light snores as the healing was completed and the three of us fell safely asleep.


	25. Chapter 23- Birds of a Feather

"Hey, Serif!"

"yeah ink?" I answered, looking up from my origami.

Within a day of the disastrous battle in MelonTale, Ink was awake and virus-free. When he came too, all seemed well. The basket of apples was lost on him, though. That was unfortunate. Dream and I got a kick out of it anyway.

Ink grinned.

"Close your eyes!"

"um… why?"

"Just do it. And no peeking!" Ink ordered.

Shrugging, I complied. As the world turned to the comfortable black, in a split second, Ink grabbed my hand and whisked me away through a portal. My eyes snapped open, just to be clouded by a band of color; the words _"No peeking!"_ reverberated through the aether. It was then I discovered blind portal travel was twice as dizzying as usual. If barfing could be achieved magically, well… I just might find out.

Thankfully, the trip only lasted a few more moments. Ink kept me from falling as my feet found solid ground. Disoriented, I stumbled forward a bit, just to have Dream steady me.

"Ink," I heard him lightly scold, "don't send Serif through surprise portal trips. Especially blindfolded! He's not used to this kinda travel, remember?"

"Oh, right… But, he opened his eyes! I said no peek—" I assume Dream gave Ink a disapproving frown, because he sighed and concluded—"… sorry Serif."

"s'alright, ink," I murmured. "guess you did say no peeking…" I think this made him feel a bit better. "so, can i see now?" I asked hopefully.

"Wait… Almost…" Ink murmured, waiting for something. "Ah, yes."

With that, the color band disappeared. The relative brightness of the light surprised me. Blinking, I stared at the world before me. I wondered if some of the color magic was still in my eyes.

We stood on the crest of a ledge jutting out from the side of a mountain. Blinding, gorgeous splashes of pure orange, goldish yellow, deep blue, pink, and purple painted the sky, dawning over shifting jade grass. A seemingly endless terrain stretched out before me, trees and meadows scattered here and there, with a city in the distance. _we're… on the surface._

As if that wasn't stunning enough, suddenly, blurred figures zoomed around the edge of the precipice, taking to the sky. I stared after them, gasping in amazement. They were _flying_. There were three figures, chasing each other, dipping, tracing patterns and loops through the air. A minute later, one broke away from the flock and disappeared above the clouds. I gazed up, wondering where it had gone, until something dropped onto the ground behind me.

"sup' ink," a voice said. I whirled. My mind stuttered.

"Hi Raven!" Ink said, Dream replying in kind. The speaker turned. _wings,_ my mind stammered uselessly. _so big. so cool._

"hey… serif, right?" Raven asked. I stared at him stupidly; it seemed he was inspecting me, too. He pulled a hand from his black jacket—which boasted the fluffiest, black-feather-rimmed hood I'd ever seen—and pushed the yellow tinted pilot goggles to rest on his forehead.

At first, I thought I was in for a bad time. His left eye, blazing yellow and blue, made me think he'd activated his magic. But to the right, the normal, white sphere of light told me otherwise. A cornflower azure turtleneck could be seen peeking from the jacket; black shorts fluttered in the breeze. Bunched up blue socks led down to grey slippers, at the end of which were three talon-like metal pieces, resembling a bird's foot—which made sense, considering he seemed to actually _be_ a bird.

Enormous midnight wings sprouted behind him, nearly twice my wingspan in length. Every feather was in perfect symmetricity, smoothed and sleek, yet downy enough to reflect only a glimmer of light. A tail, feathered like the wings, tilted behind him to counterbalance the push of the wind gusts. My gaze drifted back to the magnificent wings. Raven, apparently done sizing me up, suddenly gave a quiet laugh. I glanced at him, puzzled, just to get lightly swatted in the face by the tip of one of his wings.

"seriously, kid, you can touch em' if you want," he chuckled. "you look like you've never seen wings before."

"i've only ever seen mine," I said, hesitantly touching, then running my hand down the sleek feathers. "and they're not majestic like yours. well, not quite…" I smirked. "i guess i'm pretty _attached_ to them, though." Apart from Ink's muffled snort, no one laughed. There was a dumbfounded silence.

"Serif, that pun was horrible," Dream said blatantly. My grin grew bigger.

"i know," I admitted, "but i'm getting better."

" _Better?"_ a voice balked.

Whirling to my right, I realized the rest of the flock had landed. I'd felt small beside Raven, but now I felt like a moth among eagles. Undyne, Papyrus, and a human child stood at the edge of the precipice, staring at me. Each was almost as stunning as Raven.

Red dragon wings webbed out behind Undyne. The ribbing was cyan, intricate scales shimmering slightly in the sunlight. The colors perfectly matched her poppy red hair and sea-blue skin. Papyrus's wings were the purest white. The tip of each feather faded into a light marigold yellow. He seemed rather angelic; all that was missing was a halo. It was fitting.

As the human climbed off Papyrus's shoulders, I realized they were smaller than my hacker had been; this appeared to be a child instead of a teen. A row of dark brown feathers faded to dark penny to caramel to a tawny, cream white. Despite the size of the kid, the wings seemed relatively small. They timidly peeked from behind Papyrus's red boots, clutching the fringes of his yam-orange cape.

"WOWIE! BROTHER, THERE'S TWO OF YOU!?" Papyrus exclaimed. He then caught sight of Ink and Dream on the far side of Raven's wings. "THERE'S… FOUR OF YOU?" He gave Raven a puzzled look. "HOW MANY ARE THERE?"

"Psh, come on Papyrus!" Undyne exclaimed, "Don't you recognize them? It's Ink and Dream! They kicked butt during that glitch-freak's attack last year." She cut me a glance. "But I thought Blueberry was… different." The child came scampering over to Raven as Undyne spoke, reaching up.

"hey kiddo," Raven greeted, lifting them to sit on his shoulder. "what's up?" The child pointed excitedly to the tips of their wings. A moment of close inspection from Raven later—"ah, i see it. told ya' you'd get another row of feathers soon." The child beamed. Smiling, Raven addressed Undyne. "nah, he's not blueberry. blue couldn't come today. he's, ah… kinda tied up right now." Based on Ink's flinch, I decided that was a poor choice of words. "this is serif. he's been hanging with ink and dream; he's flying with us today."

"i am?!" I gasped, my soul leaping with excitement. Raven turned to me.

"yeah, if you wanna."

"He can fly?" Undyne interjected. "How?"

I shot a gaping look at Ink and Dream. Ink whispered _"Surprise!"_ and Dream gave me a thumbs-up. _they… did this for me._ Now smiling wide, I turned back to the flock and snapped out my wings. Undyne seemed shocked. Papyrus gave a quiet exclamation of _"WOWIE!"_ I glanced at Raven. His eyes flashed in curiosity.

"i was wondering where you were hiding those," he mused.

To my surprise, I felt a small hand pat the edge of my wing. The child, who had clambered off Raven, stroked it gently, a look of wonder on their innocent face. Seeing I was looking at them, they stopped and simply held my gaze. A second later, the tiny child went on tiptoe and tried to give me a hug—but only managed to wrap their arms partway around my waist. My mind stuttered. _a human just hugged me._ The last of my apprehension melted away.

"come on," Raven said to the flock. "let's fly."

One by one, they leapt from the cliff and took to the sky. Raven snatched Sparrow—the human child—before they could go over the edge, though, scolding that their wings were too small to fly the strong winds yet. The kid settled for a piggyback ride. Before I leapt over the edge, I turned to Ink and Dream, and smiling a mile wide, said—

"thank you guys."

The day passed in a wonderful blur. I raced the others, competed in a diving contest, chased, and was chased by, my new friends. Raven taught me all sorts of tricks and maneuvers, the most notable of which was how to extend the tips of my wings, like a defined primary "feather." Now I could turn corners on a dime.

Towards the end of the afternoon, we found a high cliff and rested for a while. Eventually, Undyne and Papyrus went to go chat with Ink and Dream, leaving Sparrow, Raven, and I atop the crag.

The child scampered about, exploring the sea of buttercups shifting in the evening sun's light. Their head would occasionally pop up above the ocean of gold. Soon they came and begged a handful of gummi worms off Raven; he pulled a whole bag out and split it between us. He found it funny that gummi worms were my favorite candy, too; we were both practically birds, he pointed out, so eating "worms" was probably "healthy." It was like Christmas morning, but on a summer afternoon.

Swinging our legs over the edge, the three of us sat, watching the sun slowly sink out of sight. Undoubtedly, it was one of the most stunning things I'd ever seen.

"cool, isn't it?" Raven asked.

"pardon?" I responded.

"the sunset," Raven clarified. I nodded, unable to tear my eyes from it.

"yeah. it's amazing. i've never seen one before."

"your human hasn't broken the barrier yet?" Raven asked. I shot a glance at Sparrow. The child had fallen asleep.

"my human wasn't keen on freeing us," I murmured quietly. "just on making life a living death."

"sorry," Raven replied simply, then questioned—"'wasn't'? past tense?" I nodded.

"they're gone now. long story. basically, by coming here, i forced them out."

"so, you made a second chance." Raven smiled, shaking his head. "you seem about as determined to write your own happy ending as the humans are." He turned to me. "so when are you going back?"

"what?" I asked, pulling my gaze from the horizon.

"when are you going home?" Raven repeated.

This question made me hesitate. My gaze drifted over to the far ledge, where Papyrus and Undyne stood talking with Ink and Dream. Undyne made a passionate, boastful exclamation, and—ignoring Ink's desperate head-shaking and hand-waving—grabbed both him and Dream and took to the sky. Oddly, Dream's laughs and Ink's panicked shrieks didn't bring a smile to my face. _when am I going home?_

"i… don't really know," I admitted. Raven shrugged.

"well, whenever you do, i hope a kind human soon follows." He glanced down at the child draped across his lap, sleeping peacefully. "a human like sparrow," he finished, smiling. The last of the sun slipped beneath the treeline. Raven carefully scooped the kid into his arms. "gotta make sure sparrow makes their bed time. tori will have my feathers if they show up to school tomorrow exhausted." He grinned at me. "you're welcome here any time, serif. don't be a stranger." I smiled back, and we returned to the ledge with the others.

Soon, the flock flew off towards the city. Ink, Dream, and I watched them go. Turning back to my friends, about to thank them, I noticed they were still smiling a mile wide.

"Was today a good kind of surprise?" Ink asked hopefully. I nodded.

"yeah, completely worth the crazy portal trip." This earned some smiles. "thanks guys, really," I said. Dream and Ink exchanged a glance. I noticed. "what's up with that look?"

"Well... there's one more surprise," Dream admitted. Ink reached into a deep fold in his scarf and pulled out a pendant, holding it out to me. Honored and unsure what else to do, I took it.

It resembled Ink's paint vials. The heart-shaped glass was filled with a light teal, thick liquid of some sorts. Paint, probably. A cord wrapped around the smaller part, attaching at the top, and looped up like a necklace.

"It took a long time to figure out, but I finally made it!" Ink explained. "It's a replacement for portals."

"cool…" I breathed, inspecting the pendant with new interest. Ink nodded excitedly. "how does it work?" I asked.

"Stand inside a protection bubble and shatter the glass," Dream said simply. "Don't worry, it'll reform."

"So! Now you can go anywhere you want, and that pendant will always bring you back home!" Ink exclaimed. My soul stuttered.

"home?" I asked, numb.

"Yeah!" Ink affirmed. "Back to the Doodle Sphere!" I nodded, trying to hide the broken hopes now falling from my betrayed soul. _that's not home._ Dream grinned, opening a portal.

"Meet you back at the Doodle Sphere!" he said. I forced a smile, formed the golden bubble around me, and broke the pendant.

The sphere rapidly filled with liquid teal light. The moment the bubble was full, it popped, shattering outwards—leaving nothing but a fading glow on the ground. As I slipped through the currents of magic, I found myself wondering— _when will i go home?_


	26. Chapter 24- Playing With Fire

Homesickness was growing. It was getting hard not to ponder that one question over and over—when would I go home? True, Ink and Dream were busy trying to defend worlds and fight Error and Nightmare and save Blueberry… but I wondered if they'd made _any_ progress on figuring out how to get me back to my world.

Deciding not to push it, to give it a bit more time, I spent my days trekking through AUs. Most trips were to MelonTale and BirdTale. A few trips to UnderFell, and Cherry suspected my existence. I had to be careful. Other than the familiar stomping grounds, I'd checked out RebornTale, ButtonTale, AfterTale, DanceTale, and FlowerFell. It never failed to amaze me how diverse and profound each story was. Though, on top of slightly nerve-wracking, ButtonTale was strange. Things seemed… off.

Today, though, I simply wanted to hang with Raven. I flipped through one of Ink's notebooks, searching for a picture of my feathered friends. Finding art from the AU, I tapped the page and leapt through the window that formed above it. Unfortunately, my mind was elsewhere… so I didn't notice the strange static flickering outside the streams of magic. By the time I noticed the colorful, swirling lightning storm-clouds to my left, it was too late. I drifted too close, there was a shock of dry wind, and I was suddenly sucked off course.

After a terrifying ride, I was flung into a thick tree. Too surprised to grab on to anything, I hit almost every branch on the way down, and eventually landed in a deep pile of snow. Sitting up, disoriented, I stared dizzily ahead. _what… just happened…?_ I stood; my jacket shed a bunch of pine needles. Brushing the few remaining sappy ones, I looked around.

Assuming I was in an AU, I decided I must be somewhere in Snowdin Forest. The trees were thicker than I remembered, though, and, I'd never seen snow-dwelling vines. Wandering through the dense foliage, I did my best to keep from stepping on the diverse flowers and saplings. _why is it so lush here? this is a winter wonderland! how can all these plants survive?_

A step later, I found my answer. Just as I rounded a thick cluster of trees, I came to a startled, back peddling stop. There, a few yards away, in a lush, blossom-encrusted clearing, sat a Papyrus. Ducking behind a bush, I gaped at him. Sitting on the edge of a smoothed rock, he gingerly stroked the edges of a long-leafed plant, quietly chatting to it. He was mostly skeleton… partially plant?

From his left eye socket bloomed a full orange-accented purple flower. It didn't seem to bother him; on the contrary, he would occasionally tap its petals, speaking to it and smiling slightly. His scarf was one long weave of young vines, tiny spots of tangerine blooms emphasizing the bright lime. His grey armor was tinted with a thin layer of moss, muting its shine to a gentler light; green boarders accented the edges. Small, swirled lavender badges were patched to the shoulder pieces. The leggings on his arms and legs were a deep, earthy brown. The orange clasps on his woven leaf-gloves shimmered slightly as he tenderly untangled the seedlings sprouting from his holly-green boots, which were laced orange and filled with dirt. Returning his focus to the plant in front of him, he patted the leaves once more, and it suddenly produced buds from out of nowhere and bloomed.

Standing carefully so as not to tip his flower-pot-boots, the Papyrus, who I decided to nickname "PlantPaps," started to the other side of the grove. Going over to one of the older looking trees, he stroked the bark; the dark wood turned a shade lighter. _he's healing the forest,_ I realized. Curious, I silently edged a little closer, wondering what he was saying. Soon…

"i'm s-sure snowdrake is f-fine. it's normal for p-people to go missing… i suppose." I was shocked at how quiet and meek PlantPap's speech was. Typically the Papyrus of a world was upbeat and confident. This one seemed timid. "i'm worried. d-did he get taken to the m-m-maker?" Planty seemed to shiver. "no, i b-bet he's f-fine."

I heard a _snap_ somewhere behind me. Glancing back, I scanned the woods. Nothing. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if magical vines were pruning old branches off the trees. I returned my attention to Planty.

"i hope b-brother's happy," Planty explained to a shrub, "wherever he is. he would like it out here, i think, even if he d-d-doesn't l-like m-me." There was a pause. "actually… that might n-not be for the b-best…" He glanced around, murmuring " _f-flammable..."_

He wandered a bit further into the tree-line, complimenting each weed and flower with things like _"your petals l-look l-lovely today,"_ and _"you're stem has g-g-grown an entire inch, how w-wonderful!"_ and even _"your c-chloroplasts are looking especially g-green today,"_ I moved to follow—

 _Ping!_

Suddenly, my feet were no longer under me as my soul was yanked backwards. I flew through the air and slammed into a tree. My HP went from 1.0 to 0.7. I crumpled to the ground. On hands and knees, I struggled to stand, dazed. Sensing the slightest motion, I let myself drop again. Something shot over me. An orange, flaming slippered foot cracked into the pine behind my head; a flying kick. My attacker shoved off the tree, flipping back, the edges of his white-striped black shorts igniting. Using his falling momentum, he brought a burning staff-like bone attack hissing through the snow as I leapt to the side. Snapping around, I summoned a half shield just as my attacker pounced, clinging to the edges of the partial sphere.

It was a Sans. His brown jacket's hood, which was composed of wisps of flame, was pulled over his face. But I could still see his blazing eyes, staring fiercely at me. A deep seared mark could be seen on his left cheek bone. For a moment, I distractedly wondered how a flaming skeleton could get burned.

Before I could finish forming the protection bubble, he pulled back a fist of fire and pounded it into the barrier. Though it didn't break through, the shock of impact was enough to send me toppling back. The shield fell. The flame monster shot forward. I swiftly rolled. The ice evaporated as soon as he touched it. He sprang after me, wildly ferocious, like a savage animal closing in for the kill.

I was starting to panic. There wasn't enough room overhead to take off and fly away to safety. I couldn't fight back and risk hurting him. I tried to ping his soul. I couldn't. He was soulless. Dodging another attack, with no better options, I unfurled my wings and leapt for the narrow opening in the canopy of branches—a hand grabbed my ankle, singeing my slipper, and yanked me down.

Next thing I knew, I was sprawled out in the snow with a pyromaniac standing above me. An inferno lit in his gaze as a roiling sphere of flame formed in his hands. He grinned, aimed it at my chest—

A gale of cool, foggy air blasted through the trees. The flames died. A clear, young female voice cried out—

"Fira, wait!"

A human child dropped from a high branch on a nearby tree, her fall unnaturally slowed by another gust of wind, and scrambled towards us. My deep-seeded fear of humans kicked in; I flinched away, nervous magic static flickering around my clenched fists. The Sans above me, who was apparently named Fira, sensed this and was suddenly viciously aflame again. The fringes of the child's white-striped blue shirt and white hair thrashed in the burst of wind that snuffed the flames out again.

"Stop it," she gently insisted.

"Breeze. Let me burn him!" Fira exclaimed, "It's the perfected replacement. He's gonna betray us! He was even stalking Papyrus!" Fira summoned more fire. It was extinguished for the third time. Long brown pants led down to white boots, leaving light swirly designs in the snow as the kid came closer, frowning a little now.

"Even so… we can't just _kill_ him, it's not right." She paused, sizing me up. "But, what kind of…?" Fira scowled.

"I don't know. He's freakish."

"i'm right here, ya know." That almost got me incinerated. But, Breeze persisted in her mission of mercy and kept me from getting roasted. "look," I said, "i'm not a threat to you. i was just passing through."

Breeze shot a pleading glance at Fira. After what must have been a silent debate between the two, Fira slowly stepped back, keeping between me and the human, and sent a flaming death glare my way. If I tried anything, I was toast. Slowly, I stood. Breeze tried a timid smile.

"If I may ask, which type are you?" Breeze ventured.

"what?" I said, puzzled.

"What kind of elemental are you?" she replied.

 _what? "elemental"?_ I wondered, then noticed the fire symbol swinging from Fira's zipper, and the wind designs in Breeze's footprints. _ah, i see. that would explain planty papyrus._ Fira narrowed his eyes at me.

 _"_ _What element?"_ he insisted. Suddenly, I felt panicky. If they hadn't recognized me as an alternate version, they evidently weren't aware of the AUs. I couldn't explain but I couldn't blend in. I couldn't tell the truth but I couldn't lie. _what do i do? oh no, what do i—_

"hope." Where did that come from? "i'm hope. my name is serif. i mean you no harm," I said, holding my hands up to prove my sincerity. Breeze appeared interested, perhaps hopeful herself, while Fira remained skeptical. "i'm not like most elementals… i guess."

"Why were you watching Papyrus?" Fira challenged. I chose my answer carefully.

"i stumbled upon him while wandering the forest. i miss my brother, and, papyrus reminded me of him. i was just curious."

"You lost your brother? And you're alone in the forest?" Breeze asked, concerned.

"yeah, i'm, ah… far from home."

"How'd you get here, huh?" Fira pressed. "Where'd you _really_ come from? 'Hope' is not a natural element, and I'm starting to think you're too weird to be a perfected artificial elemental. Things aren't adding up." The pyromaniac stared hard at me. "You're not from here, are you?" There was a horribly painful pause. I felt choked. How could I answer? Then, something changed in Fira's expression. "Are you… a _traveler_?"

I realized what he meant. Practically all us Sanses understood. _am i a time traveler?_

"sort of," I admitted. "more like… space and matter. a traverser of dimensions." Breeze was evidently confused, but this answer appeared to resonate with Fira.

"I think I believe you," Fira eventually murmured hesitantly. A nod to himself and a tiny sigh of relief later, he turned to Breeze and said—"He's not the perfected."

"are you in some kind of danger? who is this 'perfect' you keep mentioning?" I asked, trying to turn the conversation, hoping not to break any fourth walls or shatter the timeline.

"My replacement," Fira murmured, almost bitterly. "There's a death penalty for being a mistake." This was startling, a fact my widening eyes must have conveyed.

"people are trying to kill you? how do you hide? the underground is so small!"

"The northern side of the forest… we are safe there," Fira replied simply, gazing that way, as if longing to return home.

"wait, 'we'? breeze is in danger as well?"

"Since I wasn't made, since I simply exist, I'm an… 'unpredictable,'" Breeze affirmed, the tiniest hint of dread in her voice. Fira must have picked up on this, because his flames, which had slowly extinguished, suddenly sparked again.

"Remember, I won't let them get you, Breeze," he growled. "If they so much as lay a finger on you, I'll make sure they burn—" The human brought his protective threats to a stop by slipping her hand into his, smiling, and assuring—

"I know I'll be safe long as I'm with you."

Fira let out a little yelp of surprise and frowned profusely, literally steaming, and muttered _"Don't do that…"_ I couldn't help but chuckle, earning a glare from Fira and an inquisitive glance from the human. Fira seemed about to say something about all this when my pendant started pulsating. I almost shrieked, myself. Pulling it from beneath my jacket, I gazed at it confusedly. It'd never done this before.

"something's wrong," I murmured, soul hitching. "something's very wrong!"

At the words _"something's very wrong,"_ there was a burst of heat. I snapped my head up. I was alone. Fira had teleported Breeze away, evidently alarmed at my murmurings. A gentle wind passed through the trees, and I heard a whisper in the air—

" _Should you ever return, you know where to find us… friend."_

A slight smile tugged at my face. I formed a protection bubble, shattered the thrumming, flashing pendant, and disappeared, dread in my soul at what was to come.


	27. Chapter 25- Pet Talk

I touched down in the Doodle Sphere. Almost immediately, I noticed Ink, shaking with effort. His eyes, fists, and teeth were clenched tightly shut, frowning hilariously, and concentrating like he was trying to lay an egg. He heard me land. Sighing in relief, he hurried towards me, murmuring—

"Oh goodness, it worked." He snapped open a portal. "Come on, hurry!" And with that, he grabbed my hand and hauled me in behind him.

At the other side of the psychedelic wormhole was an apocalyptic-looking Snowdin town. I gaped at my surroundings. Ink didn't slow to let me take in the destruction, though, and darted over to Dream, who was peeking at buildings over the edge of a cracked boulder.

"What's new?" Ink whispered nervously.

"He's still raiding Muffet's bakery," Dream replied. "It's weird."

"what's going on?" I asked. "where are we?"

"UnderSwap," Dream replied solemnly. "Error's here."

"why would he come? isn't it empty now?" I balked.

"He just can't leave it be," Ink hissed.

Glancing around the famous AU, I felt a sharp twinge of sadness. It was once a wonderful place, destroyed on a whim. A slight twinkle drew my gaze to the right. All conversation came to a grinding halt as I pointed and whispered—

"there are lights on in that building." Ink and Dream stared at the house I pointed at.

"Error teleported." Ink seemed to almost growl with his words. "He hasn't been raiding Muffet's, he's been ransacking the skelebro's home!"

Ink suddenly teleported. Murmuring distraughtly about Ink being impulsive, Dream grabbed me and teleported after him. We ended up beside Ink, standing inside Carrot—UnderSwap Papyrus—and Blueberry's home. A mere second later, the door to the first room upstairs squealed open. Out stepped Error, a bag slung across his back and half eaten chocolate bar held casually between his teeth. There was a tense pause as his gaze landed on us.

He gave an exasperated sigh, though seemingly unalarmed. Taking a bite from the bar and sticking the rest in his pocket, he tightened the sack on his shoulders and appeared to be about to simply continue along his merry little way.

"CaN wE nOt Do thiS tODay?" Error murmured distractedly. "I'm A bIt bUsY." Ink seethed at this.

"'A bit busy'? A bit busy with what?!Ransacking this world, this world you already ruined?" Ink whipped out his paintbrush. "You must have popped a mental circuit if you think I'm just gonna let you walk away." Error sighed again; this time, a snarl laced the sound.

"WeLl, If yOu rEalLy WaNt To dO tHis tHe HarD wAy…" The air clouded with black bone attacks. Instantly, I wrapped us in a shield. The shards pelted the bubble.

"Ink!" Dream exclaimed. "We gotta get outside! We're at a disadvantage in here." Nodding, Ink gripped my shoulder and Dream's, and teleported. Error soon followed.

Summoning three Gaster Blasters, I pointed at Error, siccing them on him. They shot forward. Error hardly spared a glance as he flicked his wrist, sending spikes of strings shattering through the dragon maws. Dream's projectiles were splintered by mirroring attacks. All of Ink's magic was deflected.

Strangely, despite the impressive defense, it seemed as though Error's heart wasn't in this fight. Hints of weariness could be seen in his eyes. A neutral frown took the place of the typical psychotic smile. This battle was merely an inconvenience. It was only when one of Ink's shots grazed the edge of Error's mysterious loot sack that he got peeved enough to fight back.

I'll bet my feathers Ink regretted scuffing that bag.

Within moments, we were overwhelmed. I was first down, knocked to the ground and yanked up by strings, pulled dangerously tight. Dream faltered upon seeing my misfortune, and in a split second, it was over for him, too. Now we were both strung up like Voodoo dolls. Ink was last. Instead of simply binding him, Error wrenched him face to face.

"WhY ArE yOu So InTEnt toDaY?" he murmured in annoyance, scowling at Ink. Ink struggled furiously.

"You've got nerve, coming here! Taking Blue wasn't enough; now you're ransacking his world and stealing his stuff! Why? Why did you even take him in the first place?!" This outburst seemed to mildly surprise Error.

"WhAt'S mADe YoU sO…?" Suddenly, he chuckled. "Oh, I gEt iT. YoU'rE bEgiNnINg tO dEsPAir of FiNDinG hIm, ArEN't yoU?" Ink stopped struggling. "YoU kNOw I'm tHe oNLy onE whO KnOws wHeRE hE is AnD tHe oNlY onE WHo wIlL neVeR TeLl YOu."

"We don't give up easy, Error! Fight back, Ink!" Dream called, yelping as the strings pulled tighter at his stretched limbs. Error returned his attention to his Very Important Prisoner.

"I tOoK BluEbeRrY bEcAUSe I wAntEd tO, AnD I CouLD," Error explained simply.

"Why?" Ink pressed.

"WHaT?" confused, Error asked.

"Why did you want to take him?" The Destroyer narrowed his eyes.

"BlueBerRy aMuSEs mE," he said, threateningly slow and low. "He'S EveRyThIng a pEt sHoUld bE." Ink gave a kick of resistance at this, squirming once more.

"He's more than that and you know it! You can't treat people like that!" Error's expression suddenly turned dark.

"TheN wHaT aBoUt SeRif, huH?" My soul stuttered. Error smirked a bit. "WhY hAvE yoU kePt HIm aRoUNd foR so LonG? WhY dOn't yoU TrY sEnDing hIm BaCk tO hiS hOmE?" Ink stopped wiggling. Error laughed a cheerless laugh. "Ha! I'm RIghT, arEn'T I?"

"don't let him get to you ink," I called. "he's messing with you, and i know you're not doing that," I lied. I _didn't_ know anymore.

Ink was still frozen. Struggling with new strength, I snapped out my wings in attempt to escape the tangle. To my absolute, mind-numbing horror, Error's strings tightened about my shaking joints… and wrapped around my wings. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe.

Still smirking at how shaken Ink was, Error taunted—

"YoU maY taKe hIm For WalKs, bUt yOu keeP hiM On a LeAsh. YoU kEep hIm traPpEd. BeCaUSe yOu dOn'T wAnt To loSe YoUr liTtlE AnGel. YOur _PeT_." At this, Ink flinched rigid and barfed a torrent of black, going nearly limp afterwards.

Dream and I grit our teeth as the strings suddenly went from completely taut to unbearably tight. Error drew Ink closer as the artworks stopped.

"It'S sO teMPtiNg tO juSt kiLl yoU noW…" Ink let out a strangled cry as his bonds tightened, too. "YoU'd proBabLy suRviVe, yEt It'd sTilL huRt LIKe dEatH." Error's smile had been growing, but now, it suddenly stopped and faltered, as he murmured—"BUt I sEnSe _HE_ wOuLd fEel iT—"

Before he could finish the cryptic threat, the world stuttered. Surprised, we all glanced around. The color flickered, the light blinked, and the images blurred. Error, deeply concerned, suddenly… disappeared. The strings went limp and disintegrated. The three of us fell to the ground, aching, relieved, confused, and disquieted.

Though my mind was swimming from all that had just occurred—from the conversation that had struck at my soul's deepest fear—I pushed it all away. Struggling up, I hurried to Ink, who, though rattled before, now seemed absolutely catatonic.

"are you okay?" I breathed wearily. Dream stumbled over as well. Ink stared straight ahead, a look of horror on his face.

"I… Error—" the colors in his eyes paled as the world flickered again, and he concluded—"Blueberry."

At this, I understood. I'd seen similar things in ButtonTale. ButtonTale was an alternation of UnderSwap. UnderSwap was faltering.

Blue was breaking. We were running out of time to save him.


	28. Chapter 26- The Omega Timeline

We didn't even make it back to the Doodle Sphere. Within minutes of Error's disappearance, a small, monochrome child appeared. It scared me half witless, but Ink and Dream didn't seem concerned. The kid looked like a typical Frisk, but with wide, void-like eyes and a greyscale complexion. It was Core Frisk, from the "Omega Timeline," the haven for anyone without a safe place to call home.

The human begged Ink and Dream to come. They feared for Carrot's safety—perhaps sanity. For days, the Papyrus had sensed Blueberry was on the verge. But just now, the child felt something hitch in Carrot like an old record player. Due to their foresight, Core Frisk predicted he would soon do something drastic, drastic and foolish.

If we didn't talk him out of this state of mind, he would hunt Error down alone and get dusted.

Ink and Dream exchanged a grim glance, and nodded in agreeance. Approaching the nearest doorway, I was told to focus on the idea of such a place as the Omega Timeline: a vast space filled with humans and monsters, happy together. I doubted we would end up anywhere other than the skelebro's living room, but as we stepped through… it worked.

The Omega Timeline. It was just as Ink described: a vast white space, similar to the Doodle Sphere. Instead of color, though, it was cluttered with people. I recognized many of the character types I had seen in the Space Place, such as other Sanses, Papyruses, Grillbys, Undynes, Frisks, Toriels, even Napstablook the ghost. One of the most astonishing things was the fact they were all getting along so nicely; no one was freaking out about their "copies."

"this place is amazing," I breathed, glancing at the diversity around me. Dream nodded.

"It really is; Core Frisk's actions have saved countless lives."

Many monsters called out greetings to Ink as he passed; it would seem he was quite popular here. He was exchanging hushed words with Core Frisk ahead of us.

"where did all these people come from?" I asked Dream.

"Most are survivors from genocide runs or Error's attacks," he explained. "Though, some just drop in to visit," he added. "It's like a meeting room between all the Alternate Universes, locked by the simple key of knowledge. No one can get here until Core Frisk tells them about it." I nodded.

For a minute, the Artist and child's discussion seemed to get intense, then, a nod later, Core Frisk split from the group. Ink tucked something away. I frowned at the back of his scarf. _that was strange…_ I watched the monochromatic child wander off, striking up a conversation with the nearest monster.

"if people come from across the aus…" I started casually, "does that mean you can _go_ to the aus from here?" I asked, secretly hoping I could eventually slip away and use this place to get home, thus sparing my friends the hassle. To my dismay, Ink—who was apparently listening to our conversation—shook his head.

"No. When we're done here, the only place we can go is back to UnderSwap. It's a one-way trip to and from the door." Ink paused to wave and reply to someone's salutation. "It's not designed to be compatible with portals," he finished.

"oh," I answered simply. I could have sworn I heard Ink murmur something, though, after the phrase _"compatible with portals."_ Just as I was about to pepper Dream with more inquisitive comments—

"Hey Hope." Confused, I answered—

"yeah, ink?" Ink turned to me, also confused, then chuckled.

"Oh, you respond to 'Hope' now." He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. "I was talking to Hope _Dreemur."_ I followed his line of sight to a human child, probably about 12 years old. Short, choppy brown hair, light green shirt, and brown apron with a pink heart on the front. Unfortunately, she noticed me and waved. I snapped my attention forward again, a little scared and embarrassed.

"is she safe?" I whispered. Ink shrugged.

"Yeah. Why ask?"

"she's not a frisk," I replied nervously. "she only has one stripe on her shirt, just like chara. doesn't that mean she's genocidal?"

"No. She's capable of it, but that doesn't mean she's gonna kill anyone."

"then why is she here?" I asked, feeling like a spooked cat, ready to leap a foot off the ground if anyone so much as poked me.

"Not all non-Frisks are evil, you know," Ink pointed out, then added—"Even the true Frisks can't guarantee a happy ending." This information was slightly unsettling, but before I could mull all this over, we came into sight of Swap Papyrus.

He was off by himself, pacing in a tight circle, staring at his orange tennis shoes as they scuffed at the ground. Greenish-grey cargo pants, bright orange sweatshirt… I understood where he got his nickname now.

"Hello Carrot," Dream greeted as we got closer. Carrot turned towards Dream's voice—his gaze landed on Ink. There was a tense heartbeat in time as the two locked eyes. It happened so fast.

Suddenly, in a flash, there was a blur of motion. Carrot pinged my soul and Dream's wrist. Flinging his arms out, he threw us in opposite directions, away from each other. Without breaking the magic, he pinged Ink's entire body. Ink's feet left the ground. Carrot's fists were tightening around the Artist's scarf before Dream or I even knew what hit us.

Desperate to defend Ink, I stumbled to stand and threw my hand up—no Blasters formed.

"YOU CAN'T SUMMON ATTACKS IN HERE," Carrot growled, "BUT I CAN STILL DUST HIM WITH MY BARE HANDS." Carrot dragged his gaze back to the Artist, and said—"SO GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T."

For about a ten-foot radius, shocked silence reigned. All eyes were on the scuffle. Before anyone could step in—

"I'm sorry, Papyrus," Ink said calmly, a sad resignation in his voice. "I know you think it's my fault Blueberry is gone."

"HECK RIGHT IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Carrot exclaimed. "HE'D BE SAFE IF YOU HADN'T SWAYED HIM TO BE PART OF YOUR STUPID 'STAR SANSES' TEAM." Ink was silent for a moment, meekly thinking this over.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault he's gone," Ink tried again. "I started this. But I'm going to end it."

"YOU'RE OUT OF TIME," Carrot spat bitterly. "BLUEBERRY'S _DYING_ , INK."

"He still has time," Ink assured gently. "A few days before things get critical."

"HOW CAN YOU SPEAK SO CASUALLY OF THIS?! DOES THIS HAVE NO EFFECT ON THOSE SOULLESS EMOTIONS OF YOURS?" Carrot challenged, hints of tears beginning to show. Before Ink could answer, Carrot suddenly gave a cheerless chuckle. "AH. I FORGOT, EVIDENTLY AS YOU HAVE, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO LOSE. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A BROTHER. YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND HOW THIS FEELS." At these words, Ink's face was cast in shadow. There was a long silence, during which I feared Ink had given up the defense, when—

"Yes," Ink said quietly. "I have nothing to lose. Which is why, if I don't find Blue within three days… I'm gonna trade myself to save him."

My soul froze over. My breath hitched. Ink would place his life in Error's hands to barter for Blueberry? It was suicide!

"ink, no…" I breathed. He didn't heed me.

"Either way, you will have your brother back. Soon," he insisted. "Now, please… let me go. I must go look for him."

After a moment's hesitation, Carrot released Ink—who dropped gracelessly onto the ground—and after a brief glaring glance of grief, he teleported away. Ink stood, patting apparent dust from his sleeves, turned, and calmly started towards Dream and I.

"Let's go back," he said, not meeting our gazes. "There's one last thing I have to do before the final search."

And with that, he opened a portal and stepped through.


	29. Chapter 27- Home

Despite the announcement of his own death sentence, Ink seemed completely placid. He wasn't bothered by Dream's efforts to start a debate. He ignored my attempts at dissuasion. His attention was on his work and his work alone. He strode from sketchbook to sketchbook, flipping through pages, scribbling chicken scratch in a tiny notepad, then moving to the next binder.

Colorful magic drifted around him as he inspected his past art, like rainbow koi, solemnly swimming around a fellow fish that's fallen to the bottom of the lake. It was gathering, clouding around him. At this rate, he'd be obscured from vision within a few minutes. He didn't seem aware of the consequences of his intense concentration.

Just as the magic was closing, he reached into the folds of his scarf and snatched out a small, glowing sphere. He tossed it into the air before him. Though it happened in a matter of seconds, I saw everything, as if in slow motion.

As the sphere left Ink's fingers, the magic swirling around him followed, snaking up his body, down his arm, and to the orb. Just as the last of the energy left Ink, folding in on itself around the dot of light, it imploded, crushing into a tiny, compact zone of color and light. Then it exploded.

Flaring petals of rainbow reached from a widening hole. Dream and I gazed at it in amazement, entranced by its beauty. Ink kept his hand out, then the other, struggling to contain the field.

"Go, Serif," Ink said. "Papyrus misses you."

My mind balked. My soul stumbled. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"w… what?" I breathed.

"Home," Ink answered, wistfully staring into the blinding swirl. "It's a risk, but C. Frisk says it should work. Your world will be safe from Error; he's blind to it, as I'll soon be. But this gateway won't last forever. Go."

I turned my gaze from the wormhole, to a bewildered Dream, back to Ink, and to the portal… that would lead me home?

I'd longed to return home for so long. I missed my bro. I missed my friends. I missed my house, my cluttered little room, even that snow-encrusted sentry station! I'd wondered what it would be like to go back. It was doubtful anyone even remembered me. My very existence had likely been forgotten, just like Gaster was erased from memory when he fell. When I returned, though, it would probably be as if I'd never left. No one would notice the gap, and no one would ever believe the tale I had to tell.

I looked back at Dream. He seemed as surprised as I was, but as he pulled his gaze to meet mine, he nodded slightly.

"I guess… this is goodbye," he admitted, briefly embracing me. I glanced back at Ink, alarmed.

"but… what about you? ink, please don't—"

"Go," he said simply, cutting me off. "No matter what happens, whatever comes—it'll be a lot easier if I know you're safe. Please, Serif; let this story have at least one happy ending." And with that, despite everything… he smiled a genuine smile, bittersweet though it may be.

I hesitated a second more. Ink flinched suddenly. Alarmed, he promptly turned his attention back to the portal as it wavered. His hands began to shake, as, gritting his teeth, he ordered—

"Go, _NOW!_ "

Suddenly, all I could see was Papyrus's smiling face. _home_. I started running. _i'm coming home. i'm coming home, papyrus!_ Right as I plunged through the portal—

"thank you, ink."

I splashed into the swirling galaxy of light and color. A gurgling, laughing current swept me away at the speed of sound, distant _boom_ s of sonic thunder reverberating through the liquid rainbow. Up ahead, I could see a sphere of pure white. _home._ Brimming joy filled my soul. The brightness neared. If I reached out, I would soon touch it—

I slammed into a wall. Every fiber of my being crackled as a jolt of electricity hit me, sparking like plasma. High-frequency vibrations splintered through my bones. The current ripped me away from the white. I grabbed desperately for it. It was gone. I tried to cry out. I couldn't. Violent streams tore at me from every direction. My HP plummeted, my life unnaturally preserved by some tormenting force. A smothering feeling scattered my wits. Epileptic flashes of ultra-bright assaulted my senses. Painfully loud screeches—like knives on a ceramic plate—carved gashes into my consciousness. The mind-numbing brightness seared into my vision, beginning to turn to darkness. Just as the white blinded me, choking out the last of the light—

I felt a hand grab the back of my jacket.

Dizzying, free-falling physics made the grip on my clothes tighten, desperate to hold on. There was a hand, grabbing for something. There was a distorted sound, muted yet clear, distant yet earsplittingly near—shattering. Suddenly there was liquid splattering everywhere, a gushing river of wet, splashing into my face, over every inch of my body. Blinking as though through sand, I managed to make out a wobbly, thin green film. It surrounded me… formed a bubble… filled with teal paint… and suddenly—

There was a final flash of light. A few seconds passed in oblivion. I soon found myself coaxed back to reality by motion and sound. Quivering uncontrollably, on his hands and knees beside me, was Ink. He gripped my forearm tightly, weak color magic striving to hold my HP at its miraculous 0.0001. My eyes fought to focus on him as he coughed up shards of rainbow space and black ink, like someone saved from drowning. A few shaky breaths later, he let himself fall flat. Turning his head, he met my gaze, and after a moment of confounded silence, quietly said—

"I'm so sorry, Serif." Dream's distant cries and sprinting footsteps were nearing fast as Ink concluded—"I don't think I can ever get you home."


	30. Chapter 28- Invisible Ink (Memory Scarf)

After the near-drowning portal experience, I hardly ever saw Ink. Once Dream saved us from kicking the dust-bucket, Ink was gone, relentlessly searching. Dream tried to keep me company, but was also desperately scratching at obscure hopes those last days. That was fine; honestly, I was thankful for the times of silence as I sat in the Doodle Sphere or a corner of a quiet AU, letting it sink in. I was… never going home. I'd be here forever. And not only that, but soon, I might never see Ink again.

After all that had happened, _this_ was the ending? It wasn't fair! Ink obviously blamed himself for Blue's capture, but really, it couldn't possibly be his fault any more than it was mine! And! Dream! Without Ink, he'd be left alone to battle Error and Nightmare— _his own brother_ —for the rest of eternity. I wasn't age-immortal like they were; I'd eventually die, leaving Dream behind, too. Why was I here to witness all this? Was I truly helpless to change their fate? Would I have to sit around and watch the remnant of the Star Sanses waste away from despair?

It made me absolutely furious. I hadn't felt genuinely angry like this in a long time. But, ultimately, despite everything, I found myself filled with Hope as Raven's words tumbled around and around in my head: _"you seem about as determined to write your own happy ending as the humans are."_

So, I used those long, lonely hours pacing the empty floors of the endless art room. I reviewed every detail of every second of my adventure, observing each fact I'd learned and every skill I had. An answer was close at hand, I could feel it.

It happened at the end of the second day. I'd not slept since Ink hauled me from the portal. Instead, I worked my mind feverishly, desperately searching for a solution. I'd reviewed Error's attack in UnderSwap, the portal pendant, and paint magic. After about an hour of pondering protection bubbles, I hesitated on the thought of sleep. One moment I was thinking about a nap and the next I was waking up.

Initially, I was furious with myself for selfishly wasting precious time. But then I remembered what I had dreamt… and the word _"foresight."_ The details clicked into place. I scrambled up. This was it. I had to find Ink!

Finding a needle in the preverbal haystack would be easy compared to trying to locate Ink in the Multiverse, let alone the Anti-void; if he was in there, I'd never find him. Just as I was considering calling for Dream—there was a distant noise behind me. I whirled. _ink._

Ink was there, digging through a bag for a new sketchbook to search through. He found what he was looking for, opened a portal a foot away—

"ink, _WAIT!_ " I cried out, dashing towards him. Ink turned, throwing me a startled, puzzled glance.

"Serif?" Ink asked. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"i'm fine. there's not much time," I insisted breathlessly; I wasn't used to going from 0 to 60 so quickly. Ink gave an uneasy frown at this.

"Yeah, I know… which is why—if everything's alright—I'm gonna go keep looking?" he explained, pointing at the portal, evidently hoping I'd give the go-ahead for him to leave.

"no, not that," I said, shaking my head. "i know how to find blue!" The portal snapped shut fast as a mouse trap; I had Ink's attention.

"Seriously? How?" Ink exclaimed, hope flickering in his tired eyes for the first time in a long time.

"first," I insisted, "it's essential that you don't breathe a word to dream. what i'm about to tell you stays between us. promise you'll not say anything to him." Ink frowned again.

"That's a concerning way to start a conversation," he murmured.

"please?"

"Alright, I guess... I promise," Ink agreed hesitantly, the allure of a solution sealing his allegiance. "But, why?"

"things will go a bit smoother if he doesn't know the truth. and, if things go awry, well… he doesn't need to know why." Ink's eyes widened in alarm at this; evidently, he was already regretting his promise. "just hear me out," I requested. "it's not as crazy as it sounds."

Ink's expression changed as I laid the plan out for him, down to the last detail. I finished, and waited. There was a thick silence.

"so?" I eventually prompted.

"It's way too risky," Ink murmured, a shocked quaver in his voice. "We'll find Blue another way." He opened a portal a few feet away and started towards it, evidently trying to escape the conversation. Suddenly deeply frustrated, I flash-teleported in front of him.

"there's no time, ink. we have to try!"

"No," Ink said decidedly. "Look, even if it worked, you'd get dusted too fast for it to do any good!" he argued.

"thanks for the vote of confidence," I muttered sarcastically. Something sparked desperate in Ink.

"Seriously, you don't stand a chance," Ink insisted, seeming shaken at the concept. "You don't need me to tell you that. Just… no." He side-stepped me and started briskly on his way, but came to a halt as I said—

"look, we don't actually _know_ i need them to survive… so i'll try my plan with or without your help." Ink whirled, the resolve in his face turning to dismayed shock.

"You wouldn't actually..." Ink balked. I didn't answer. "No…" he breathed in horror.

Then, suddenly—I was yanked down to the ground; Ink had engaged accelerated gravity around me.

"I can't let you! I won't!" Ink exclaimed, a spike of panic in his voice. I struggled to push past the weight of the magic. "I'll keep you here, it's safe here!" A band of paint reset my progress. "This isn't your battle, you don't have to fix it!" I snapped out my wings, shattering the paint barrier. "I can't bear the thought of knowing I sealed your doom…" I managed to roll through a narrow shortcut, teleporting out of the range of the gravity magic. "…to have your dust on my hands and conscience forever…!" More paint dripped up from the ground, forming a protection sphere around me. I pinged the walls and pushed; the bubble shattered outwards.

"ink, stop, you're overreacting! just chill! you can't always keep me safe—" I was cut short as, Ink pinged my soul, yanked me face to face with him, and exclaimed—

"I can't lose you too!"

Ink seemed as surprised as I was at this outburst; a choked expression flashed across his face. There was a second's shocked pause. Then, he carefully set me down back on solid ground. I read the fear in his eyes, him evidently reading the concern in mine. He turned, walked a few steps, and sat with his back to me. It reminded me of young, bashful Papyrus's pouting habits.

"I'm fine," he announced, answering my unspoken question.

I felt… something. I don't know how to describe it. All I knew was that… I was supposed to do… well, something. It was just like what I'd felt when I'd pinged Cherry gold. _but ink doesn't have a physical soul. what am i supposed to do?_ Then, I remembered listening to Dream's story, reassuring him. And I remembered who I was talking to. And I realized… _i don't need magic for this one._

"ink," I started, "you're a great artist… but a horrible liar. you can't create a lie to save your life." I could see him sigh, and made my way over to my friend. "this may not be my battle, but that doesn't mean you have to fight it alone." Sighing—audibly this time—Ink finally met my gaze as I sat beside him.

"I was afraid you'd do something, no—that." he murmured, semi-irked, semi-sad.

"what now?" I asked, throwing him a bewildered glance. He didn't notice.

"The _thing_ , the sad-sensing thingy you do, comes with the gold-stuff power." I knew Ink must be considerably distressed; his words weren't making much sense.

"ah," I said simply, unsure what I was supposed to say to that. There was a pause. "so… what's wrong?" Ink thought for a moment, then murmured—

"Everything…"

"is that all?" I lightly teased sarcastically. "really. what's wrong, ink?" There was a long hesitation.

"Nobody's safe, everyone's endangered, lots because of me. I can't protect anyone!"

"you can't protect _everyone._ but you do protect many people," I pointed out.

"But _you're_ in danger, I should have never let Error see you. He knows you exist, wants to kill you real bad. And you're stuck here, because of me! I failed to get you home…"

"don't worry 'bout—" I couldn't finish, because Ink wasn't done. It all came gushing out like one of his ink fits.

"What if Nightmare takes Dream ever again? I don't know if I could find him. I can't bear the thought of him trapped in a stony prison for a day, let alone years and years like before. Dream won't hurt Nightmare at all, even if it means he'll die! I always have to step in or whisk him away to safety. What if I mess up, some day, what if I don't save him in time? And I won't be able to protect him if I don't find Blue in time and Error… actually kills me… And! And Blueberry, it's all my fault!"

Ink leapt up—startling me half to death—and bega pacing agitatedly. Shocked, I watched him trek tight loops across the floor as he rambled on.

"I don't know how I missed the warning signs, that Error'd target him. Carrot hates me, now—well, he never did like me much anyway…" Ink frowned slightly at this. "But I don't wish this on him!" he exclaimed. "If he loses Blueberry, he'll be all alone! I don't want him to be alone, too. Carrot was right, about me. I don't have anything to lose, I've already lost it all. I don't wanna be left alone, please… don't leave me here alone…" he murmured sadly, coming to a crawling stop, as he ended up back on the ground beside me.

Ink seemed to consider the river of words he'd unleashed, shook his head, and summarized—

"Like I said. Everything's wrong…"

His fear rang true in my soul. _"I don't wanna be left alone, please… don't leave me here alone…"_ I understood completely. Plenty of times throughout my life, I'd cried those words into the dark, begging time to reverse and bring my brother back to me. But I realized, in that regard, Ink couldn't relate to me… could he?

"ink, why…?" I hesitated a bit too long, and Ink threw me an expectant glance. "why is it just you here? why don't you have a brother?"

There was a numb pause. Ink stared at me, a hint of shock in his gaze, but he must have been too surprised to express it. Just as I was beginning to think I'd asked the stupidest, most insensitive question in the history of my existence—

"In your world," Ink began quietly, turning to nuzzle a bit lower into the folds of his scarf, "what did you do when the human killed Papyrus?" I decided that, in light of my question, this was fair game.

"well… i judged them in the hall. fought till they killed me."

"Before that."

"um, i avoided the townspeople… didn't sleep much."

"Before that." I hesitated. It was hard to recount all this, but I pressed on for Ink's sake. Surely there was a point to this trip down memory lane.

"before that would be… right after it happened?" This time, Ink was silent. I felt I was getting closer. I pondered for a moment. "there was usually a snowstorm. i went to the side of the river and… found the dust pile." _what is he trying to get at?_ "cried for a while… first few times, grillbz had to come drag me away. i wanted to stay, but settled for bringing paps scarf with me. wore it from there on out, and—" My mind tripped and fell flat on its face, choking.

The scarf.

Sure enough, Ink had bunches of the brown fabric clenched in his fists now, holding it closer as it absorbed the few splashes of rainbow light that slipped from his sad eyes.

"I write things on this scarf so I can remember them," he whispered. "But, what I really want to remember… is the scarf itself. Why? Why do I wear one? In practically all the worlds I've seen, the only time a Sans perpetually wears a scarf… is when it belonged to his dead brother. I've had it for as long as I can remember… but I don't remember a lot of things. And I have a frightening sense I haven't _always_ had it."

He stood unsteadily, swaying slightly as he started pacing again, giving in to the nervous habit once more. The laps were wider this time, and not as circular. His eyes flickered through distressed, chaotic symbols. Between each sentence was a hyperventilating gasp. As he spoke, his words started coming faster and faster, leaving my mind reeling to keep up; he seemed to forget I was here.

"Why can't I remember? Do I have a brother? Is he alive? Where? And why haven't I heard of him? Does he know I exist? Is he looking for me? Are we even in the same dimension? Did I lose him because I forgot? Or… _did…_ I have a brother? Is he dead? Because of me…?! What if it's my fault? And it was traumatizing and forgetting is some sort of coping mechanism? Is that why I can't remember? Is that it?! Why? What if—"

His panicked rant was cut short as I stood and he walked right into my outstretched arms. A moment later, I felt him start quivering. He clung to me, crying silently.

"t'sall gonna be alright, ink," I soothed gently. "i promise."

"How… how can you be so sure?" he sniffled.

"well, actually, i don't know what the future holds. heh, i don't even know most of the past. but i do know there's still hope, and i won't let you forget it, 'cause you'll never be alone; i'm here."

He seemed to be trying to form a response, but just sobbed. A long time passed like that, me holding Ink as he cried. I doubted he'd ever admitted his fears to anyone; the longer a river is dammed, the longer the water-works last when it's released. I couldn't fathom bearing such a weight for so long, alone. _you'll never be alone,_ my mind whispered to me, reminding me of the heart-healing phrase. Eventually, Ink's sobs began to turn into sniffles.

"once i prove to you i'm safe here," I started carefully, "and once we make sure dream's outta trouble, we can go look for papyrus. we'll find him. just as soon as we save blueberry… alright?" A shaky sigh later, Ink seemed to find his strength. He withdrew from my embrace and nodded.

"Alright," he agreed quietly, pulling his sleeve across his face. Slowly, reluctantly, he reached for his paintbrush, and brought it around. "Alright… if you're sure… let's do this."


	31. Chapter 29- Fallen Angel

/CONTENT WARNING: Possibly Disturbing/Violent Content/

To my ears, my every step sounded as loud as ice cracking. My footfalls left soft indents to mark the path I'd taken. It was cold, the powder I walked on, like snow. But it was space ash. I was in Outertale; the Alternate Universe where monsters were banished to the galaxies instead of the underground after the war. Westward bound, I headed away from Stardin town. My destination: the desolate meteor zone. It was equivalent to the frozen pine forest I used to patrol. Except, here, there were no trees, just stars, mangled asteroids, and empty space.

I could still sense my follower, and couldn't decide whether to be reassured or nervous. The plan would soon begin, and once I took that first step… there would be no going back. _heh,_ I thought to myself, _it's blueberry or bust._ I grinned at my pathetic attempt at a space pun. Years ago, I used to have a nerdy tee shirt with those famous lines, "MARS OR BUST." Gaster had given it to me when I was 10, for Christmas, if I remembered correctly. It was one of my all-time favorites.

A slight _crunch_ up ahead put my comforting memories on hold. Seeking cover, I hurried to an outcropping of rocks. Back against the stone, I forged onwards. Soon I could hear constant footfalls and hitching murmurs. Closer still. I ran out of rock. Peaking around the edge, I discovered the source of the noise.

Pacing agitatedly, muttering distractedly, was Error. For once, he wasn't here to destroy a world. Outertale—according to Ink—was the only universe Error tolerated. He seemed to enjoy the silence, hiding beyond the edge of the town to clear his head. Indeed, it seemed something was up.

Straining my ears, I tried to make out his murmurings.

"… cAUseD suCh A rApiD dEcLiNe?" A few words were lost in static. "…FeW dAYs. I'vE dOnE eVeRytHiNg. EvERytHInG! I seARcHeD EvEryWHerE fOr…" Unintelligible. "ThOuGHt tHAt LaSt hAuL WoUld hElP, BUt…"

I glanced around. There, a few feet away, was another chunk of asteroid. It would shelter me. Taking a minute to judge the distance and count Error's paces, I decided I might just make it. The problem was the noise; I'd have to run. Though not impossible, flying was difficult; the air here was too thin. Crouching low, I got ready for the sprint… waited for my opportunity… and… _go!_

I bolted, running as fast and quiet as possible. Safety was within reach, when—one of my steps crunched down a little too hard in just the wrong place—Error whirled. My soul seized up as our gazes met.

"WhY yOU LiTtLE…!" Error didn't bother to finish his threat.

In a flash, an enormous blaster formed and fired. I leapt out of the way, gulping at the gaping, smoking hole in the ground. Rolling under the outcrop, I braced for the strike. For a fleeting moment in time, there was silence. Then a spike of threads shattered the stone into a million sharp shards; I barely managed to deflect them from beneath my shield. The hastily summoned protection field was cracking. I abandoned it. Summoning attacks of my own, I raised my hand, but was forced to doge a barrage of bones before I could aim mine. They dissolved. More strings.

Up ahead was a ravine. The opposite side was slanted; if I could make the jump, I could slide down into the crevice, out of Error's range. I made a dash for it. Panic spurred my steps. A projectile impaled my footprints, barely missing me. Just a bit further…

I made it to the edge and leapt, desperately grabbing for the far ledge—threads lashed around my ankle. I was yanked down. Error narrowly kept me from cracking my head open on the ground by jerking the strings, flipping me back into the air. Falling up, I frantically tried to form a shield in hopes of slicing the strings. But even as the gold flickered before me, more threads wrapped my arm, fingers to shoulder, and coiled around my waist. The magic snuffed out, and I plummeted back to the ground.

Within seconds, I was completely ensnared. Error held me, writhing in terror, a few yards in the air.

"ink, dream—HELP!" I cried out. Error laughed at my antics, an elated grin spreading across his face.

"ThEy CaN'T hEAr YoU. DoN'T yOu KnoW It'S dAnGERouS tO TraVEL aLoNE?"

* _Snap._

The wings snapped out. I struggled desperately, attempting to gain altitude in the thin air. Error frowned at my squirming, re-binding my kicking legs and tightening the grip across my shoulders. A spike of blue death formed. I cringed back as it came closer. The threads tapped my forehead, as if taking mark, drew back, took aim—

A distant yell split the silence. Error hesitated, snarling in the direction of the noise. Outertale Sans was coming, alarmed by the sounds of battle. My follower must have set him on my trail. Kicking harder, I opened my mouth to shout for help when Error whipped a cord around my neck.

"ScReAM aND yOU'lL nEvER sPEaK aGAiN," he growled. I kept silent, but continued to struggle. My slipper went flying. Distantly, I wondered if the spacey Sans would find it.

The sounds were coming nearer. Error turned a new gaze on me.

"ReMEmBeR tHe fIRst tImE wE diD tHiS sONG anD dANce… _tOy?_ " I gasped to cry out as Error teleported me away.

The shortcut, thankfully, was brief. Terrified, I paused my thrashing to glance around. I was in Error's base in the Anti-Void. Blank, light-less white stretched in all directions. The floor was white, too, with nothing but vague shadows to show its boundaries. All about, primary blue strings draped from unseen heights. Hanging from many was an array of jackets, shoes, and sweaters.

Unspeakable dread filled my soul as my gaze reluctantly dropped to the ground. My eye lights were reduced to mere pinpricks at the sight of scattered bloodstains and piles of dust littering the floor beneath the ripped clothes, and I remembered— _"I'm loOKing fOr a New toY; mY lAst onE bRokE."_

Complete panic brought me new strength. I started thrashing around again. Error directed the strings to weave in with the ones hanging from above and let go. I fell slightly; the slack ropes made struggling sap my strength faster.

Error calmly watched me flail uselessly about and waste precious energy. The longer he stared at me, the wider his grin got. It sent my frayed nerves splitting straight down to their roots. Sensing the air was thicker here, I flapped my wings frantically, and gained about a yard in altitude before Error sent new threads around my ankles and waist, pulling me back down.

"YoU'rE qUiTE a FigHTeR, aRen'T yOu? QuiTE… _DetERmInED._ YoU'LL lAsT a LOnG tImE, _"_ Error said as he approached, drawing me a bit further down. I strained to lean away. He chuckled. "We'Re gOiNG tO hAvE LOTs of FuN. BuT…" I felt strings slowly coil around the wings at my back. I could _feel_ it.

"no…" I breathed. "no, please, just let me go! please!" Error completely ignored my plea, and continued—

"… BuT I Can'T hAVe mY LiTTLe bIRd eSCaPe tHe cAge, nOw cAN I?" The strings went taught. It would be foolish optimism to deny what I knew was coming. My soul pounded frantically. I felt paralyzing fear. Error hesitated, thoughtfully tipping his head to the side.

"HmMm…" he murmured. Calmly locking gazes with me, Error asked—"To CrIppLE aN AnGel… dO yOu BrEAK hIs leGs…? _OR HiS WiNGs—!_ " and yanked the strings.

My breath seized as the threads sliced through the blue matter, tearing it to shreds. The agony registered in my mind. I jerked rigid and screamed at the top of my voice, the pain spilling into the sound. Sobs hitched in my raw throat. Ultimately, the whimpers mixed with the cries, creating a mutilated, shrieking-weeping. Error evidently heard music instead of moans.

"ThAT wAS aStOUnDiNG!" he exclaimed, delighted. "I sHoULd hAvE OnlY dEsTRoYeD oNe; I'd LOVe tO sEe tHaT aGaiN." Pressing his fingertips together, he hopefully pondered—"PerHaPs thEy'LL gRoW bAcK?"

"s… _sadist,"_ I spat through gasps.

"ThAnK yOu," Error said, devoid of all sarcasm, genuinely flattered. He chuckled, coming closer. "NoW yoU'rE a _fALlen AnGel."_ He laughed at his own sick pun. "DoEs tHaT mEaN yOu'LL tHrOW aWay YouR hAlo? WiLl yOu BaRtEr yOur lOYalTy aWay anD PatHEticAlly bEg fOr MeRcY, I wOnDeR?" Suddenly, his eyes flashed anew with excitement. "Or CouLD I dRIVe yOu tO soMeThiNG dARkeR?"

My quivering soul was pinged forward. He raised his hand, about to summon more strings, when—he stopped. Faltering, he frowned, and murmured _"ALreAdY?"_ Through my blurring vision, I saw him step under me, ignoring my other fallen slipper. Stooping, he scooped up a handful of the dripping, weakly glowing, teal bits that were all that was left of the wings.

"It seEmS I'Ve rUfFleD sOme fEaTHeRs, aND NoT jUst yOurS," he explained, playing with the pieces for a moment. "I cAn't waIt to See hOw INk anD DrEam liKe tHEse sCraPs. ThEy'Re aLreAdy lOoKinG fOr mE." Turning, he cast a brief gaze to the void a few feet away; a glitching hole was torn open in the empty air. "WeLL, eNJoY yOur tIme iN thE wEb, lItTle _faLLeN AnGEl."_

And with that, he stepped through the rift and was gone.


	32. Chapter 30- The Smolest Sans

Silence.

There was silence, save for my slight gasps, which reverberated around me. It took a while to catch my breath after that impressive scream. The pain had long since faded. It was bearable. The silence stretched on for a minute more, until—

"h… heh."

My own chuckle startled me; it sounded so loud in the silence. But even as I thought about it, I couldn't help it. I grinned, then chuckled some more, then laughed, then laughed harder, until tears slipped down my face. I couldn't help it!

"ha! yes! haha! he _fell_ for it!" And I burst into laughter once more. My throat was still a bit raw, so it hurt… but it was so worth it.

The scream hadn't been entirely fake; the experience had still been painful. The only way to get the fake paint wings to respond to my wishes was to actually attach them to the sides of my shoulder blades; but the real ones were safely tucked away. Apparently, though, the code was still open back there. I wasn't expecting to be able to feel them, but the pain just added to my convincing act.

 _oh my goodness, it worked! ha!_ _ink snapped his fingers with perfect timing!_ I shifted, trying to loosen the strings a bit. _i can't wait to tell him how peeved error looked when i started flapping them around._ Pulling hard at the arm restraints, I managed to get a finger under the string around my neck. _but, that musta been really harsh to watch. glad he stayed hidden. also glad he couldn't follow me in here._ I stopped pushing the threads down to think for a moment. _he doesn't know if I'm alive. there's no distinguishing between those fake scraps and the real wings._ I let out a long, semi-sad sigh as I realized this. It wasn't over for either of us.

Finally assured I'd been untangled from most of the dangerous bonds, I shut my eyes and focused. A second later, I felt my body go from physical to photon and back again. I phased through the strings. Thankfully, I wasn't too far off the ground.

Getting up, I straightened my bunched jacket and reached for the hidden cord around my neck. Dangling just inside my ribs, the portal pendant had remained undamaged. Good. It was essential to the plan. Carefully, I unfurled my wings—my real wings—and tentatively stretched them out. I frowned, cringing. The back of my shoulders ached terribly. Hopefully, I'd not need to fly for long. After testing my strength with a few flaps, I took to the sky.

The clock was ticking. Ink had insisted that, if I didn't find Blueberry in time, I'd come back without him. But I'd do no such thing. If he was here, I _would_ find him. Coasting between the draping blue vines, I searched the muted white expanse. I flew in widening circles so as not to miss anything.

After about six and a quarter minutes, my nerves started fraying again. I didn't know how vast Error's space in the Anti-void was. Blueberry could be anywhere! Tilting my wings, I went higher, hoping to get a better vantage point. As I went further up, I noticed something strange. _the ceiling looks really weird._ It appeared like the surface of a lake: vaguely reflective with a warped view of the sand bed below. Except, there were no strings on the other side. And it was a lot whiter than it was here. Curious, I flew straight up.

Just as I reached out to touch the weird barrier—gravity flipped. Suddenly, instead of flying, I was falling. Initially, I was so surprised that I didn't react. Then my mind clicked back on. Snapping out my wings, I managed to pull up; the silver charm on my jacket sang as it clipped the floor.

Fluttering to a stop, I landed unsteadily. Flinging my wings out at such high speeds did not feel good. Pulling them in, I looked up. Gaping, I stared at the ceiling. Beyond it, I could see the cluttered, upside-down string zone, yet also my own dim reflection. It was some sort of trick mirror. Disoriented by this bizarre view, I returned my attention to my surroundings and glanced around.

Nothing but blinding white could be seen. Slowly, I turned a full 360 degrees. Just as the loop was complete—there. There was a dot on the horizon. I started running.

As I neared the dot, I glimpsed a tiny speck of color on the ground as it flew beneath my feet. I couldn't be sure, but it looked like… yarn. I ran harder. The closer I got, the more clutter I found. Tiny bits of colorful string—not Error's—littered the floor, along with pages, both blank and used. I even glimpsed a few candy wrappers and small toys.

Then, the dot became clearer. Grey, light and dark, and blue, sky and azure. Hope burst to the brim of my soul, as, I managed to make out the form. It was a Sans. _blueberry. it's got to be blueberry!_

Slowing as I approached, I walked cautiously, careful not to step on the colorful drawings. I was about to call out when I noticed… Blue wasn't moving. He wasn't even breathing. He sat frozen amidst a pile of papers; many were ripped to shreds. He should have heard me by now. Making my way in front of him, I caught glimpse of his face. My soul stumbled.

Bright turquoise tears flowed silently from his unblinking eyes, which were nothing but black voids. A blank expression painted his features as he stared down at his baby blue boots. His hands, gloved in similar color, were clenched at his sides, supporting him. Dark grey pants, from boots to his blue belt—with a white star clasp—and light grey shirt. Most notable, though, and the final confirmation for me, was his big, bright blue scarf. It was tied in such a way that, if viewed head on, it looked like a bow. I had found him.

But was I too late?

"blueberry?" I asked. No response. "blueberry, can you hear me?" Nothing.

I tried calling louder, waving my hand in front of his face, even shaking him. Nothing. _he's just a shell_. At this horrifying realization, I felt something within me break. I couldn't let him slip over the edge! I had to save him! Kneeling before Blue and holding my hand out, I pinged his soul forward. Changing the magic from teal to gold, I watched the pale soul mirror the colors. It turned pure gold, faded though it may be.

I could tell by looking at it. Glowing faintly, weakly, pulsating sluggishly... he would soon fall down.

"no…" I whispered, fighting the sudden welling of sorrow in me. "you can't die…" The gold encasing me slowly seeped into Blue as I wrapped my arms around him, willing him to live. "please," I beseeched, "people need you. everywhere i've gone—in almost every au—you're known and loved. cherry, melon, raven, jazzy, sugar, dream, and ink… carrot. they all need you. please, come back…"

I hugged tighter, sensing his soul wavering even now. _please, come back, come back… come on blue…_ I knelt there for minutes on end, fighting tears over someone I'd never even met before, yet felt nearly tethered to. Like the rhythm of the tide, his soul would tremble in fragility, then settle, then tremble, then settle. One of these times, it might shatter. My mind fell into the same tempo; fear, hope, fear, hope… Until…

I felt the slightest change. There was a heartbeat in time. Then, Blueberry slumped down. Despair spiked into my soul—then he inhaled. He was _breathing._ I barely dared to hope. His chest rose and fell a few more times, then—

"Oh. Hello." I jerked back, gaping at Blue. Curious, bright blue star-circle eyes gazed at me inquisitively. "Who are you?" he asked.

"blueberry!" I exclaimed joyfully. Blue appeared surprised.

"How cool! We're name twins! Magnificent!" And then he made… a noise. " _Mweh!"_ I gawked at him. It sounded a bit like what Papyrus said: " _Nyeh!"_ _that,_ I decided, _was absolutely adorable._

"no-no-no," I insisted, remembering his comment. "my name's serif. i'm friends with dream and ink. i'm here to rescue you!" I checked my internal clock. Horrified, I gasped—"there's not much time! we gotta get out of here!" grabbed his hand, hauled him up—

"Wait!" Blue exclaimed. I turned to him.

"what is it?" I asked skittishly; Error could return any minute.

"He will worry!"

"who?"

"Error." _what?_ "I don't want to scare him. I will… I shall… mweh! I shall leave him a letter!"

Blueberry scrambled to find a blank piece of paper. I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. _is he actually serious?_ Finding a page and grabbing a nearby navy crayon, he sat and started writing. _he's serious,_ I realized. Glancing over his shoulder as he scribbled away, I read the note.

 _Dear_ _Error,_

 _Please don't worry when you find this. I am being rescued! But do not fear! I shall visit often, so long as I can return home in the end. Have a lovely day!_

 _~Blueberry_

I could hardly believe it. Blueberry cared that Error would miss him? Didn't he realize this whole fiasco was Error's fault?! But then, right as Blue was about to fold the page up, he stopped and added—

 _PS: about the whole holding me captive thing, I forgive you. Despite everything, I'll always be your friend._

And I felt shamed by the endless kindness of a Papyrus-spirited Sans. Blueberry cleared a wide space in the paper-shreds. Standing, he scanned his letter, then gazed out over the white expanse.

"I don't think I'll miss this place. It's too quiet, and a little freaky…"

I zoned out a bit as Blue murmured about the lack-of-need for things like food and sleep, then frowned to myself. Standing up straight, I secretly traced my hand from the top of my head to his. My fingers passed right over. Silently, I smiled and gave a fist pump of triumph. I was taller than him! _heh, he really is the smolest sans!_

"… finally going home," Blue concluded wistfully a second later. I promptly hid my elated grin as he put the note in the clearing and turned to me. "I am ready to go home." Nodding, I reached for the portal pendant—it wasn't glowing.

"what?!" I quietly gasped, horrified.

"What's that?" Blue asked, oblivious to the plan-wrecking problem.

"it's supposed to be our ticket home…" I murmured, desperately shaking it like a glow stick.

"Oh, you can't teleport or make gateways in here, if that's what you're trying to do," Blue explained. "It's a portal dead zone." I nodded nervously.

"if we go to the other side, will it work?" Blueberry appeared confused.

"What do you mean, 'other side'?"

"ah, on the other side of the ceiling. the mirror overhead." Blue glanced up, then back at me, puzzled.

"You mean the illusion?"

"wait…" I said, eyes narrowing a bit. "error told you that's an illusion?" Blueberry nodded. "and… you've never seen beyond this place?" Blueberry shook his head. I glanced up, then back at him. "well… it's not an illusion. and it's not a nice place." The color in his blue eye lights paled.

"That must be where the frightening noises come from…" he murmured. I almost gulped. _my scream musta scared him half to death. and seeing all that blood and dust might push him over the edge…_

"thought i should warn you," I said. "might wanna shut your eyes when we get up there, k? and keep em' shut till i say otherwise." Blue thought about this, then nodded bravely. Assured he'd be alright, I nodded, too. "good. hold on tight."

With that, I stepped forward, scooped Blue up, unfurled my wings—which surprised a delighted gasp from him—and shot into the air. I'd not pushed the importance of time, afraid it'd stress him out, but now I realized that the precious time was almost gone. We couldn't afford any more holdups.

Reaching the barrier, I tightened my grip on Blue and took the plunge. When gravity flipped this time, I was prepared. Tucking my wings in for a split second, I summersaulted mid-air, righted myself, and spread my wings once more. I caught glimpse of Blue's face; his eyes were shut. Good. Dodging the last of the draping strings, I landed. Slipping my arm from beneath Blue's knees, I put him on his feet, reached for the glowing pendant—

"Serif?" he asked.

"don't open your eyes yet," I answered.

"No, I… I don't feel so good…"

And suddenly, he collapsed. I sprang to catch him. He was completely limp. My eyes widened in horror as his HP started to creep down. _i gotta get him outta here, now!_ Lowering Blue to the ground and gathering him into my arms once more, I wrapped my wings around us, formed the golden bubble, and shattered the pendant. Stealing a last glimpse at the Anti-Void between my feathers, I watched from behind golden walls as my vision was tinted teal, a flash of light—the emptiness faded away.


	33. Chapter 31- Revenge

Remembering the horrid portal trip with an unconscious Ink, I held tighter to Blueberry. The ride was a bumpy one, sending my mind spinning. My wings were scraped along the sides a couple times, which chafed them like a carpet burn. But we made it. The moment we were safely on the ground in the Doodle Sphere, I pinged Blue's soul, letting both his soul and body absorb the gold. Peeking out of the cocoon—

"dream!" I called out. "i know you can hear me. i'm alright. please, come back! i need you guys!"

Returning to the pocket of golden light, I shut my eyes tight and focused all my energy on saving Blue. Dream and Ink were probably still fighting Error. When Dream heard my call, it might take a while for him and Ink to return. I had to keep Blue alive till then.

A few minutes passed in complete silence, save for the vague, peaceful twinkling sound that always filled the Sphere, a welcome change from the deafening silence of the Anti-Void. It seemed I was only delaying the inevitable; Blue's HP wasn't going back up; it had just entered the yellow range. I focused harder, blocking everything out. Just as it started to stabilize—

There was a distant sound. I poked my head up. Dream burst through a portal about fifteen yards away. He glanced around desperately. Before I could call out, his gaze landed on me.

" _Serif!"_ he cried out, voice breaking in both woe and relief, barreling towards me. "I thought you were dead! Don't ever scare me like that again!" he scolded tearfully, sliding to the floor and hugging me fiercely. "Ink searched for you—then Error had those—oh, where have you been?!" Carefully, I shifted my wings—prompting Dream to release me—then, unfurled them partway, revealing the sleeping Sans beneath.

"looking for him," I answered quietly, smiling faintly. The glistening tears in Dream's eyes started falling as a look of shock spread across his face.

"B… Blueberry?" he whispered. "Is it really…?" I moved Blue from my arms to Dream's. He held him close, crying in relief.

"i think he's gonna be alright," I assured. "he said something about not needing to eat or sleep in the anti-void; think it all caught up with him. needs food and rest, and'll be alright."

At that point, Ink touched down in the Sphere. Despite the distance, I could see shining tears well in his eyes. Pulling his arm across his face, he walked over, dropped to the ground, and wrapped the three of us in an embrace.

"Safe…" he whispered, overwhelming gratitude in his voice. "You're both safe…"

"told ya everything'd be alright," I insisted.

"Yes," Ink agreed, smiling, "you did. And you saved us all."

For the longest, most blessed time, there was peace. Ink's and Dream's magic joined mine, and Blue's HP started going back up. Once he woke, we'd take him to Carrot—just as soon as he had some real food; magic couldn't sustain him forever. But for now he was safe. And that was all that mattered. The weight of worlds was lifted from Ink's shoulders, and Dream's joy returned in full. And finally, I truly understood: everything has a purpose. There was a reason behind it all. Despite all the bad that had happened, despite everything we had lost… there was still hope. I had come here for a reason. To save Blue. My path had a purpose after all. For the first time in a long time, there was peace.

But it wasn't to last.

A grimace flashed across Blueberry's sleeping face. I was the only one who noticed. I frowned. Something felt wrong. My soul fidgeted as the word _"revenge"_ flashed through my mind, along with a sense of dark malice.

 _Boom._

Suddenly, Ink gasped. I gave him a nervous, inquisitive glance. Had he felt it too? Dream appeared disconcerted.

 _Boom._

"No…" Ink breathed in horror, grasping his chest, the size of his eye patterns reducing to the diameter of a dime. Dream's hold on Blue tightened, as if to protect him from the unseen threat.

 _Boom._

"No…! How did he find it?!" Ink exclaimed. Dream shot him a terrified look.

"what? what's going on?!" I asked, feeling my soul seizing up with sudden dread as another impact thrummed through my mind.

"Error…" Ink breathed. "He's trying to break—

 _Crack._

Dream's eye lights went dark in horror as Ink leapt up and exclaimed—

"Error's breaking past the firewall-barricade… he's breaking into your world!" I sprang to my feet.

" _what?!"_

 _Crack._

"ink, take me there. take me there now!" I begged. Ink hesitated. "please! i can't let him do this, he'll kill every—"

"If the walls are down…" Ink murmured, "we might make it… but, I don't know—"

 _Shatter._

"please, just do it!" I cried. To my amazement, miraculously… a portal snapped open a few yards away. Ink bolted for it.

"Come on Serif!" he exclaimed. Soul tightening in both hope and terror, I darted after him.

"What about me?" Dream called after us.

"Stay with Blue till he wakes up," Ink ordered. "Keep him safe!" Just as Ink and I were about to leap through the portal, glancing my way, he murmured—"Don't you dare die."

The colors folded in on us.


	34. Chapter 32- The True Battle (The End?)

Ink and I splashed into the portal. A chaotic, frantic stream of magic snatched us away, blasting us towards a jagged crack in a distant white sphere. After a psychedelic, frenetic display of light, we were suddenly a hundred feet above the ground and plummeting towards it.

I tucked my wings and dove for Ink. He reached out, terrified yet trusting. Grabbing his wrist, I yanked him into me, curled into a front flip to right myself, and snapped my wings out. Seconds later, we stumbled roughly onto solid ground and took off running towards the booming sounds of destruction.

Error stood rooted in the middle of Snowdin town, buildings reduced to rubble at his feet. The earth rumbled and cracked as a solid beam of blue threads pounded the librarby. Showers of bricks leapt into the air, then came hurtling down to earth. The screaming townspeople scrambled for cover. Horrorstricken, I watched helplessly as Error whipped a chunk of wreckage into Dogamy, sending him flying into the side of an unstable building. He dusted. Dogaressa cried out in a heartbroken rage, launching herself at Error. She soon followed her husband's fate.

Without a human in my world… without the power of RESET… the damage was permanent.

Desperate, I tried to run faster, nearly in shouting range of the Destroyer. The orange horn-monster—I never even knew his name—was crushed to powder while trying to shield the scarf mouse, Minty. She squeaked a shriek of despair and darted for the bushes. Error snatched her up.

"I'm nOt fINiShED wItH yOu!" he growled ferociously.

I summoned a bone attack. I knew it wouldn't be fast enough. But before I could launch it forward, suddenly, Error gave a stifled snarl of pain. Minty was dropped to the ground. Error's eyes flashed blood red. His HP bar became visible as he gripped the shaft that cracked his forearm and yanked the spear out. _undyne!_ Sure enough—

"Fuhahaha! Take that, _punk!_ " Undyne shouted, coming to a snow-spraying stop nearby and brandishing a spear. Error growled, turning his furies on her. Within seconds, she was nearly overwhelmed.

"ink," I gasped.

"On it," he replied.

I summoned an enormous Gaster blaster in front of us. Just as it fired, with a burst of speed, I took a running leap off its head, snapping out my wings and shooting up as Ink yelled— _"Undyne, duck!"_ Undyne saw the impending doom and hit the ground as Error, surprised, turned and looked right into it. The moment the torrent of light cleared, Ink leapt through the ash and was on Error like a panther, explosions of crackling color combatting the rain of strings.

This was it. The last battle. Someone was doomed to die. Error wanted to destroy my entire world, and that included me. It was me or him. And unlike Ink, Dream, and Blueberry—I wouldn't be sparing Error in the end, not after what I'd seen and experienced. If he wanted to run away, that was fine. But fleeing wasn't an option for me. _it's just the beginning. i'll fight till the end._

I gained enough altitude and veered back around as Ink was thrown aside by a barrage of bone attacks. Ceasing my journey upward, there was a brief pause as my momentum neutralized—the air cluttered with dragon maws and bone attacks—and I started falling. The attacks followed. Tucking my wings in close to my body, I sliced through the air, kamikaze. A few feet from impact—

"error!"

He spun, and I spring-boarded right off his face. Flipping back, I landed beside Undyne, grabbed her, and teleported away as my attacks rained down, engulfing Error. The moment our feet touched safe ground—

"Sans!? What the heck!?" Undyne exclaimed. Ignoring her question, I desperately begged—

"undyne, where's paps?" Her opportunity for answer was cut off as motion caught my eye and I shoved her, the both of us falling back; a spike of strings stabbed the ground between us.

Error stood trembling on the edge of the crater I'd incinerated. Despite the distance, I caught glimpse of his vague HP; it was barely a third of the way into the green zone. He wasn't hurt; just annoyed.

But then he graduated to manically livid as he realized what—rather who—had hit him: me.

His eye sockets filled with "ERROR" signs. His entire being shuddered with glitching. A hitching, static roar of rage filled the air. Suddenly the ground shook like an earthquake as strings exploded up; the slab of stone I stood on was thrown into the air… and I knew the REAL battle had finally begun.

Stumbling to my feet, I dashed to the edge and dove as a burst of strings splintered the rock. The gravel rained down as I came to a rolling landing.

" _SERIF!"_ Error bellowed, stalking towards me.

"yes?" I answered sarcastically, surprised I could be _humorous_ at a time like this. My cheeky response caused glitch signs to cloud the Destroyer's vision again.

"YoU! YOu LiTtLE—!" Static censored the next few words. I summoned a shield to absorb the fierce barrage of bone shards that shot towards me. "I ShOULd hAvE ENDeD yOu wHeN I hAD tHE ChaNCE!" I teleported a short distance as a chunk of roof tiles pounded the ground where I'd been seconds before. "I'lL KiLL YOu." A blast of bones. "I'LL KIll EvERYoNE…!" Rain of strings. "I'LL KILL EVERYONE YOU LOVE!"

I strengthened my barricade as a massive black blaster formed and fired.

"Serif, look out!" Ink shouted.

Suddenly I sensed him materialize behind me; a wall of color blocked the blast that would have killed me from behind. Back to back, we struggled to maintain the shields. I gritted my teeth, wavering. _one wrong move, and i die; one wrong move, and ink dies._

The blasters suddenly dissolved as Error's attention was stolen by a ferocious volley of spears. The light was temporarily tinted electric blue as they rained from the sky; all the while Undyne shouted at him furiously. Error's HP dropped to the yellow range under her onslaught.

"Your Undyne is a _freaking_ _boss_ ," Ink murmured to me.

"yeah," I agreed. "she's crazy."

Unfortunately, Error aimed his attacks back at the townspeople. Undyne was forced to return to the defense. We leapt back into the fray. Ink went for Error. I shielded the civilians. Undyne smacked the attacks off course, joined by Doggo.

I had just engaged a shield around Gyftrot and Icecap, defending them from the beams of a blaster ring. Error threw Ink aside and smashed another building, revealing Monster Kid and Snowdrake. Doggo darted for them and was dusted. Error flung an uprooted tree at the two kids… and Undyne dashed in the way. Her armor broke. Her spear snapped. Her HP dropped to critical. She slammed into a pile of rubble. Black shards, thick as flies, sliced through the air to finish her off—

There was a flash and a flurry of motion in front of Undyne. Bursts of yellow, gold, and blue flared. Confused, Error increased the onslaught. Suddenly he stumbled forward as a pinged chunk of stone slammed into him. The attacks stopped and the ash cleared. Undyne was gone. I gaped in horror at the empty space—until her rescuer returned to shield a fallen civilian. _dream!_

"Dream!" Ink called from across the battlefield, locked in a tussle with Error. "Talk to me!"

"Safe. Awake but scared," Dream answered. "Worried sick about us. Left food and an open Window—will go to The Timeline soon."

Unfortunately, despite the cryptic explanation, Error figured out we were talking about Blueberry, and his attacks intensified. Two more buildings were powderized, one of which was Grillby's. I dearly hoped he was safe. Dream disappeared for a few seconds more, then reappeared beside my protection bubble.

"Drop the shield!" he said, swinging his staff to knock an attack aside. "I'll get them to safety, then the townspeople." Field down, he grabbed the two refugees and teleported away.

Suddenly a cord strayed past Ink's defense and snapped around my ankle. I was yanked into the fray, flicked into the air. I narrowly managed to flash-phase through the strings as a blast shot up to skewer me. Dropping to the ground, I ducked as a thick spike of rigid threads splintered the tree behind my head, then rolled as another projectile impaled the dirt where I had been standing just moments before.

"HolD stILl, yOu lIttLE GliTcH!" Error growled, static lacing his words.

For a moment, his blazing eyes were on me; just enough distraction. Flecks of bright indigo splattered the snow to emphasize the loud _slap_ as Ink whacked Error with his mighty paintbrush, coaxing another volley of strings from Error's fingertips.

Summoning a Gaster Blaster, I started running. It fired, carving a gap through the snow beneath Error, narrowly missing him. Right as a burst of strings splintered the blaster, I took a running leap off its head and took to the sky.

Error, once more distracted, stumbled as Ink snapped his fingers; the indigo paint coating Error's side and arm suddenly morphed into lead, yanking him down to earth. A burst of strings and the weight was shattered. Suddenly, Error laughed, hitches and static distorting the sound.

A huge wall of threads surged up from the ground, enclosing us three Sanses in a sphere of deep blue coded death. _woah, k that's new._ Closing my wings, I dove through a gap in the spidery strings filling the air and came to a rolling stop in the snow.

Another attack narrowly missed me. But then, one cry rang out from the noise, closer than the other screams. I froze, almost getting pummeled. My soul stuttered. I whipped around and looked up. There, suspended by thin, tight strings, was Papyrus.


	35. Chapter 33- The Last Goodbye

For a split second in time, it was as if time stopped as I locked gazes with Papyrus. His fearful eyes widened, unmistakable recognition flashing among the terror. Words can't describe the avalanche of emotions that hit me in that moment: fear, longing, relief, love, sorrow, regret… I'd wanted so badly to see him again. But not to watch him dust!

Error chuckled, an evil, dark sound.

"WeLl, _HopE._ BeEN MisSIng YouR BrO, haVeN't yOU?"

Ink suddenly launched himself at Error with new fury. The Destroyer didn't spare him a glance as he flicked his wrist, sending threads slamming into Ink, throwing him across the snow and pinning him down. Papyrus's soul was suddenly yanked from his chest, hovering helplessly and trembling fearfully. A smile cracked up Error's face.

"TiME tO dIE."

I leapt forward, hand outstretched, wings pumping frantically. I could see the strings going taut, the jolt traveling up the threads. I snapped my wings in, turning and twisting through the closing spider web. The threads blocked my way— _no!—_ Error yanked. Papyrus's soul shattered. His body turned to dust.

 _Hope._

The strings collapsed tight around me. I phased straight through them. I reached out and grabbed the fading shards of my brother's soul. Wrapping both wings and shield around myself, I fell to the snow. Shoving the two halves together, bright golden light gushed from my cupped hands. Error turned all his strings on the bubble. Blinding beams of golden brightness blasted them back. A new surge of energy. It felt like life itself crackled from my fingertips. The air visually rippled with magic. Suddenly there was a mind-searing flash—the bubble disintegrated as my energy sapped completely dry—the light cleared.

Blinking away the dancing spots seared into my vision, my eyes refocused, and I found… Papyrus. Solid, real, alive. Once again whole, his soul glowed steadily, a whitish gold. It absorbed back where it belonged. Starting, he snapped his eyes open; they filled with tears when he saw me. I felt mine doing the same. Before he could speak—

"don't worry," whispering, I insisted, inexpressible joy brimming in my voice. "this… is all just a bad dream." Embracing him, a few tears slipping away, I breathed—"i love you bro." A final flicker of magic later, I flash teleported Papyrus to safety.

Numbing weariness filled my mind as I stumbled to my feet, preparing to put up a fight once more. Shocked, Ink gaped wide-eyed in my general direction, entranced from the light show and astonishment. For a moment, Error blinked in disbelief at the empty snow. Then his gaze filled with unbridled rage, and he suddenly blasted a fatal torrent of strings… at Ink.

My soul seized up. I opened my mouth to cry out. Ink snapped out of his daze just in time to watch the wall of strings hurtle forward. There was a burst of colorful light as an ear splitting cacophony of _cracks_ filled the air. Frozen in horror, my world spun as I fought overwhelming nausea, crushing dread, and shattering despair as Error laughed in glee—until the glowing haze cleared.

Ink's eye lights contracted as his eyes widened. He let out a horrified, choked gasp as he stared at the rigid strings that had stopped barely an inch from his body... but had stabbed straight through Blueberry.

Frozen, Blueberry gazed numbly at the blue cords that sealed his fate. The threads etched cracks over nearly every inch of his body. Shock and pain etched in his still expression. Dragging his eyes up, he looked right at Error… and with welling tears of forgiveness… smiled. Horrorstricken, Error gave a strangled cry of dismay and disappeared. The strings disintegrated. Blueberry slumped back, right into Ink's shaking arms. Ink stumbled to lower Blue to the ground as I dashed over.

"No, no, no, no! Blue!" Ink cried, tears slipping down his face as he frantically tried to stop the cracks from spreading. "No! Please! No!"

Coming to a sliding stop, I hastily pressed my hand over Blue's chest and pinged his soul forward, desperately forcing it to stay together. His HP was at 0. My weak flickering magic was all that kept the cracked mass from shattering.

"Dream!" Ink called, voice breaking. "Dream, come quick!" I glimpsed Dream teleport a few yards away.

"Ink—?" his gaze landed on Blueberry. "B-Blueberry?!" he sprinted towards us, throwing himself down beside me. "No… No! _How?!_ "

"dream, help…" I murmured, my magic stuttering; his hands were pressing around Blue's soul before the words were even out of my mouth.

"W-window." We stared at Blue. Slowly, his eyes drifted partially open, gaze eventually meeting Dream's expectantly.

"You redirected the Window I left you?!" Dream exclaimed in dismay. Blue's mouth twitched up in a brief smile. "Blue, no… what have you done…" Dream sobbed. His tears seemed to distress the smol one.

"Don't cry," he requested. We all cried.

Ink hastily pulled his arm across his face, attempting to see past tears as he tried to keep Blue's body from dusting. Blinking through tears of my own, I gazed at his trembling soul, the soul Dream and I had to heal; elsewise, all the magic paint in the world wouldn't save him. But due to the exhaustion, overall fear in the world, and the drain from bringing Papyrus back from the brink… our collective powers were weak. And Blueberry knew it.

"Never… said g'bye…" Blue whispered. "Paps..." Ink sobbed.

"No Blue, don't say goodbye," he insisted. "You're not gonna die!" Blue smiled faintly at him.

"S'alright…"

"No it's not!" Ink exclaimed.

Blue's gaze was dimming. His eyes drifted down a bit. Then, they suddenly snapped back wide in alarm.

"S-s-soul?" he stammered weakly in distress. The only response he got was confused glances. "Scarf…!" he exclaimed desperately, his antics lowering his slim chances of survival. _scarf?_

Briefly leaving the cracking soul in Dream's care, I reached out with my magic, searching near the scarf. Beneath his ribs, to the left, was the void where his soul belonged. To the right—a second one. _what?!_ I pinged it forward. It slipped, not from behind his ribs, but deep from the folds of his scarf. A red human soul.

Blue saw it and heaved a shaky sigh of intense relief.

"S-safe…" he breathed.

"Swap Chara!" Dream exclaimed. "It's Blue's human!" I gazed at the soul hovering above my hands, grateful I'd not accidentally touched it earlier, or else I'd have—

"fuse!" I exclaimed, holding it out towards him. "blue, fuse with the human! it'll save you!" To my baffled, shocked horror, Blue slowly shook his head.

"Could… h-hurt them. Can… unfuse…?" Ink nodded vigorously.

"Yes! You can unfuse! It's not permanent, Chara won't get hurt—just do it!"

"Don't h-have… h-human's… p-permission."

Dream gave a muffled cry as a shard of Blue's soul disintegrated. I could see Ink was losing the fight, too. Desperate, I changed the magic holding the child's soul from blue to gold. And… I could _hear_ them.

"blue!" I insisted. "chara gives their permission! I can hear them!" Blue's struggled to focus his gaze on me.

"J-just saying," he murmured weakly, smiling sympathetically as if to apologize.

"i'm not just saying this to convince you! i promise!" I exclaimed, considering trying to force a fuse, when—"wait," I murmured, listening intently… then started repeating what I heard. "'do not worry, small human, for i, the magnificent sans, shall be your fantastic friend!'"

Blueberry's eyes opened slightly.

"remember, the day we cooked together? we finished the tacos, then tried cupcakes, but you'd never made them before and set the oven at 450 degrees instead of 350. it set the fire alarms off, remember?"

The cracks were spreading beyond Ink's control.

"then that time I said you weren't cute, then kissed you on the cheek, and insisted instead that you were actually _adorable_ —you blushed bright as a star and hid in your scarf…"

Dream's magic was failing.

"and when papyrus heard you'd convinced alphys to befriend me, he said you were 'the best peacemaker in the underground.' then…" I stopped talking, for Chara had burst into sobs and was pleading frantically that I save their friend.

"Chara?" Blue murmured, eyes brimming with tears and dimming alarmingly as another soul fragment shattered. Then another. I held the determined soul out to him again.

"do it now—!"

The weakest flicker suddenly tipped the soul from my grasp. A bright flash of light startled me back. Little wrinkles of magic flared through the air. The glow disappeared as fast as it appeared, and I watched as some magical force gently set Blue 2.0 back on his feet, restored by the power of a human soul.

He seemed uncertain about this new arrangement; the yellow-star blue eyes—now bordered with a soft determination red—blinked confusedly. Scattered, intricate, translucent designs of similar color glimmered just off the surface of his bones where the cracks had been. He hesitantly swept his hand through the halo-like ring of light hovering above his forehead. Just as I thought he might be on the edge of a mini meltdown—he froze, eyes glancing up slightly, as if listening. Then… he grinned.

"I'm glad you're safe too, Chara," he agreed, smile growing. He was soon tackled in an embrace by Ink and Dream.

"Oh my goodness, Blue, don't ever scare me like that again!" Ink begged.

"Don't ever pull a stunt like that, never-ever!" Dream scolded. "What would we tell Carrot? How could I ever live with myself if you got dusted? What were you thinking?!"

"Don't worry Dream, I'm fine!" Blueberry insisted while giving poor Ink reassuring pats of okay-ness. "Mweh! All's well that ends well!" Glancing my way, Blue managed to free his arms from the double embrace and reach out to me. Finally letting out the sigh of relief I'd held for so long, I joined the group hug.

"thanks, blue," I said. He gave me a puzzled look. "for saving ink, and trusting me," I clarified. At this, Blueberry smiled a mile wide. Then his attention was drawn aside.

"Oh my." He was gazing at the emptiness in front of him. Breaking away from us, he murmured—"So that's what you see, Chara." No one knew what he was talking about until he reached forward, lightly tapping some unseen thing… and the word " _RESET"_ suddenly glowed into existence. My eyes went wide. Blue considered the turn of events. "Serif, I think I can fix this place."

"Yes!" Ink exclaimed. "Chara's determination can RESET the world!" Then, thoughtfully, he looked from Blue to me. "It looks like… your journey's over." The meaning sunk in.

"home," I breathed, gaze dragging back to the ruined town. For a split second, I could envision it as it used to be. I looked back to my friends, suddenly sad. "i guess… this is goodbye." Blueberry blindsided me with a crushing hug.

"It's not goodbye, Serif! Mweh! I shall be back, you can count on it!" When Blue didn't let go, Dream pried him off me so he could have a turn.

"Once a friend, always a friend. Just call my name, I'll be there, anytime, anywhere."

"thank you dream," I breathed. Then—Ink.

"Looks like you saved your world after all, _Angel,_ " Ink teased lightly, embracing me. I chuckled slightly at this. I was about to admit he musta been right about the whole "angel" thing when he added—"But you've saved so much more than a universe. Blueberry, Dream… me." His grip tightened slightly as he whispered—"Thank you Serif. Thank you so much." And with this, holding me at arm's length, he briefly tapped his forehead to mine in blessing.

I felt my throat tighten, tears fighting to escape. All I could do was give an indebted nod and smile. Ink smiled too, rejoining the others. Blueberry hit RESET. A single joyful tear slipped free as, light blurred away the world's details, and, smiling, side by side, my friends faded away.


	36. Chapter 34- Finally Home

When I awoke, I found I was back in bed. In _my_ bed. Under _my_ blankets. In _my_ room. _i'm home._ It seemed too good to be true. But deep down, I knew: it was real.

I simply lay there, soul bursting with joy, every breath inches from a laugh. My adventure felt like a story-book dream, but the dull ache at my shoulder blades and the vague shape of the portal pendant under my shirt was proof. It had been real, and I had persevered all the way to the "happily ever after."

 _i'm home, it's over! despite everything, i'm finally home! i'm actually—_ My jubilant thoughts snuffed out, confusion clouding my beaming smile. I'd heard something. Yes, there it was again; a strained, muffled… sob? Slipping from beneath the sheets and snagging my jacket, I left my slippers beside the bed and silently padded over to the door. The faint crying was on the other side. Deeply concerned, I grabbed the handle and pulled.

There, kneeling on the ground, face buried in hands, weeping bitterly… was Papyrus. Upon hearing the slight squeal of the hinges, he looked up. There was a heartbeat in time.

"bro?" I breathed, baffled, taking a step forward. At this, Papyrus burst into tears again.

"S-stay back," he hiccupped, uncharacteristically quiet.

"what?!" I exclaimed. Papyrus buried his face in his hands once more.

"Every time we touch, I wake up. I don't want to leave this dream, please… don't leave me here alone…"

For a moment, all I could do was gape at him in shock. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. There was no explanation for his apparent notion of my long absence. He shouldn't be aware of it, right? But here he was, crying over me nonetheless.

I was usually the one in his place. How many desolate genocide runs had I dreamt he was back with me? How many mornings had I woken from the dream and wept before his empty room? I'd hoped the door would open and Papyrus would come scoop me up, insisting I'd just had a nightmare. I'd lived in consuming loneliness without my brother for the first time in my life. But this time the roles were reversed.

Slowly, I knelt—causing Papyrus to flinch back a little—and wrapped my arms around him. Papyrus went rigid. But after a long pause, wide-eyed, he pulled away, searching my gaze in disbelief. Trembling, he hesitantly reached forward and poked me in the face; he let out a sharp gasp and tried again. This time I held his hand there, soul overwhelmingly joyful, and insisted—

"this is _real._ i am _here._ i am _home_ and i'm not going _anywhere_. and you'll _never_ be alone."

"S… sans?!" Papyrus whispered, then exclaimed—"SANS!" Suddenly I was in a hug so tight my bones threatened to snap; despite being tucked away, even my wings protested. Paps sobbed. "SANS, OH MY GOODNESS, YOU'RE HERE, ACTUALLY HERE! BROTHER… I'M SO SORRY, IT'S ALL MY FAULT! PLEASE, I'M SO SORRY, PLEASE—"

"calm down, bro. it's alright now," I soothed, but Papyrus babbled on.

"I HAD THIS HORRIBLE DREAM, THERE WAS THIS FREAKY _THING,_ AND IT STRUCK YOU INSTEAD OF ME, AND YOU DIED IN MY ARMS! I WATCHED YOU DUST AND THEN I WOKE UP AND COULDN'T FIND YOU, I LOOKED EVERYWHERE BUT YOU WERE GONE, AND NO ONE REMEMBERED YOU! I WAS SO SCARED, AND THEN I REALIZED IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN A DREAM AT ALL, IT WAS REAL, AND THEN—"

"wait, wait," I interjected, thoughts swimming. "you… remember?" _he really does remember._

"SO IT WAS REAL!?" Papyrus exclaimed in dismay.

"no, i mean… you don't usually remember your nightmares," I said carefully. That earned me a confused glance.

"BUT… BUT—!" Paps argued. "YOU REALLY WERE DEAD!"

"that's impossible; i'm right here," I pointed out. "it was just a bad dream."

"JUST… A BAD DREAM…?" Papyrus murmured, as if trying to decide whether he believed this story or not.

"exactly," I encouraged, smiling. Remembering his words from another lifetime, I added—"and you're awake now; so there's nothing to worry about." Paps stared at me for a while, mind churning. I could see the details already fading in his mind, as they had in mine. He wouldn't let it go, though.

"I'M STILL CONFUSED. IT DOESN'T ALL QUITE… ADD UP?" he mumbled, puzzled. I tugged at his hand, urging him to his feet, and guided him towards the stairs.

"don't worry, it will, given time," I answered, trying not to sound too cryptic, and attempted to divert his attention by prompting—"how about breakfast? i'm really hungry for your fantastic spaghetti."

I couldn't believe… he actually remembered. All this time, he had been confused and alone, searching for a brother that didn't exist anymore. I wondered, suspected… hoped, that perhaps, this meant he had been freed from the script. Was he no longer controlled? Was that why he was aware of the time gap? Either way, it didn't matter. He knew the truth and I had to convince him otherwise.

I didn't want to burden him.

"YES, I SUPPOSE IT IS BREAKFAST TIME…"

"great," I said, continuing past the couch—where I would usually catch a few more minutes of precious sleep—and accompanied Papyrus to the kitchen. Somewhat surprised, he spent a quick glance between me and the couch, but seemed happy nonetheless.

I trotted over to the counter, and with a semi-impressive hop, managed to end up atop it despite the height. Typically, Papyrus would scold me for sitting on the counter, but not today. Swinging my legs absentmindedly over the edge, I watched him pull together breakfast, and occasionally handed him ingredients or utensils. My eyes followed him everywhere; I could barely conceal my excitement and joy. But I had to hide it, or he'd get suspicious. It was going to be so hard to keep this act up.

I could see Papyrus was still considerably shaken. It was probably going to take a while for the lingering trauma to wear off. I'd have to be careful to never use gold magic or the portal pendant around him—at least, not until I came up with a convincing and reasonable explanation. Also, until there was an explanation, no unfurling my wings. _speaking of,_ I frowned to myself, shifting my shoulders, _they're really being a pain. musta worn them out in battle. can't do anything about it now, though. not around paps._

Ultimately, all this was rather unfortunate, 'cause I had a feeling Papyrus would love to experience flying… even if it was only a few feet off the ground. My smile grew at this thought.

"IS SOMETHING GOING ON?" That snapped me out of my thinking.

"what?"

"YOU KEEP GRINNING AND FROWNING, AND SHRUGGING KINDA WEIRD, AND WATCHING ME. ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT?"

"oh, yeah, i'm fine. just…" I stopped.

Usually, I'd simply answer "tired." But I wasn't tired anymore. Just… thankful? At peace, perhaps? Discovering I didn't have a good answer, I just shrugged. Needing a diversion once more, I glanced at his progress with breakfast. Next up, stirring. Pulling my legs up—out of the way of the drawer beneath me—I tugged the handle and reached for a spoon… just to receive a light smack on my knee.

"ouch—why?" I asked.

"FEET OFF THE COUNTER!" Paps scolded. "YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE YOUR SLIPPERS! WHERE ARE THEY?"

"left 'em upstairs," I shrugged.

"GO GET THEM, SILLY!" I smiled inwardly; bringing on a light lecture seemed to be bringing out the real Paps.

"must i?" I whined, sighing dramatically. "they're all the way upstairs. it's so far…" Papyrus flicked his hands at me, driving me off the counter.

"GO ON, SHOO!"

Quietly chuckling, I complied. Once around the corner, I let out the enormous grin and happily skipped every other stair on my way up.

Slippers retrieved, I was about to return to the kitchen when another dull ache hit my sore shoulders. _alright, alright,_ I relented, deciding to unfurl the cramped wings. _what's wrong with these things today?_ I wondered.

… Nothing happened.

Frowning, I focused on them again. Nothing. Confused, I twisted to see behind me; there was nothing there, of course. Wriggling from my jacket and tugging down the back of my shirt, I tried again. The faint glow over my shoulder blades was gone. Even the rifts had disappeared. There was no sign of the wings' existence.

I glanced at the back of my jacket. The ink was just that; ink. It didn't shimmer like it used to—it was so faded that I could hardly see the markings. I found I couldn't summon shields. I pulled the pendant out. Not a glimmer of light could be seen. I felt, deep down, that if I broke it, it would never fix. It would simply break, and I'd be left in a puddle of stale paint.

 _it's… all gone._

I was suddenly hit with a profound sense of loss. Though dulled by the joy of my homecoming, it was painful nonetheless. I feared what might happen when I called Dream's name—or, what might _not_ happen. _maybe it's just one way communication now_ , I tried to reason. _maybe they'll still come back…_ but I feared it was foolish optimism.

I traipsed back downstairs, slower this time. Snuggling back into the worn old jacket and repeating my stunt on the counter—and getting swatted again—I contented myself to watching my brother. He busied himself with cooking enough spaghetti to end world hunger, most of which would freeze solid as "bait" in his puzzles.

I fell back into my thoughts.

Despite everything… would I go back if I had the chance? Would I wish away the genocidal human that started all this? Would I rather live as "Sans" or "Serif"? If I could take all the pain away, save Blueberry, encourage Dream, be there for Ink, and spare Papyrus—without enduring this whole adventure—would I? I pondered this for a long time.

"paps?" I eventually said. Papyrus glanced at me expectantly. "i'm glad you're my bro." At this, the last bits of shadow fell away from Papyrus as he smiled like the sun and exclaimed—

"ME TOO, SANS!"

And I knew I was where I belonged.


	37. Epilogue- A New Beginning

Consciousness coaxed my mind awake. Slowly, reluctantly, I let my eyes drift open a slit. Dim "morning" light poured in from the window. Slight noises from downstairs, the kitchen to be precise, prevented me from falling back asleep. A moment later—I smiled. _it's a new day._ I lay there, not wanting to move, partially awake, mostly asleep, simply enjoying the peace.

"SANS!" The call didn't startle me anymore.

"i'm up," I affirmed.

"GOOD! HURRY TO BREAKFAST, YOU MUSTN'T BE LATE!"

"yep," I agreed, "i'm coming."

Even though days blurred together, they were peaceful. Nothing really changed, but that was alright. All that mattered was that I was home. And I was determined to never take it for granted.

A pleasant breakfast of semi-edible spaghetti and a stroll across town later, I ended up at my sentry station. The faithful old box I called a checkpoint was a bit more thawed than usual; it must be summertime on the surface.

Instead of settling down for a good nap, I decided I'd rather go chat with Toriel. Apart from two new knock-knock jokes, I couldn't think of a particularly good reason… but I went anyway. Humming, I headed down the snowy forest path, and as the Ruin doors came into view—the hinges squealed ajar. I froze as a human child stumbled through the narrow opening, the heavy doors banging shut behind them. They looked up—their gaze landed on me.

It happened all at once.

My soul was set ablaze. My left eye flashed gold and teal. The long lost wings suddenly snapped out. I flung my hand up; the air cluttered with blasters and bone attacks. With a surprised shriek, the kid dropped to the snow, curling into a trembling ball. That took me aback. _are they… afraid?_

I hesitated. The human appeared slightly battered. In their hand… a mere stick? _where's the knife?_ I wondered, narrowing my eyes. _something doesn't add up._ Nervous and skeptical, with a blaster hovering over my shoulder, I carefully edged closer. The child seemed to sense my presence and curled tighter, a nearly inaudible whimper of fear coming from the little heap.

Unlike the aggressive, seemingly genderless teen hacker, this child was female, rather frightened, and very small. My guess was… 7 years old. I observed the worn brown boots, the jean shorts ending just above her knees—which were covered in Band-Aids—and her oversized sweater. The fabric was white, with a single, light lavender band across the torso. Her sleeves, though, had three stripes. Odd. Tucked in her shoulder-short, messy, tawny hair was a flower tied up with a green ribbon. The blossom looked like a buttercup, except for the fact it was light blue like an echo flower. It appeared to be artificial.

No matter how much I observed the wrinkles and rips in her clothes, I found no trace of dust. _this doesn't add up,_ my mind whispered again. After a moment of indecision, I pinged her soul. My eyes went wide when I saw her stats. Her HP was critically low. But the part that baffled me most was the fact that the kid didn't have any LV or EXP. None at all. _how? she should have 6 levels of violence by now._ I glanced at her name. _lark? like, the bird? but why…?_

Suddenly, it hit me. Lark was a synonym for—

"frisk," I breathed, the blaster disappearing in an instant. _what have i done?_ After a moment of shock, I tucked my wings away and carefully knelt in the snow in front of her. Lark flinched and whimpered in distress.

"i'm not gonna hurt you, kiddo," I soothed. "sorry about that… i thought you were someone else."

Hesitantly, Lark looked up. Despite the fact she could obviously see, her eyes appeared to be nearly shut. A second later, I smiled slightly and offered her my hand. Slowly, trembling, she took it. Her fingers were so small, so warm and gentle… At this physical contact, I engaged magic; her HP was fully restored, and I helped her to her feet.

"i've, ah, got food," I offered awkwardly, hoping to take her mind off my terrifying display. "it's at my sentry station up ahead." Lark's eyes went wide at the word "sentry." I shrugged. "don't worry. i'm not really interested in capturing anybody."

This appeared to calm her a bit, yet she kept a few cautious steps behind me as I led the way. Leaning over the edge of the station, I grabbed a pack of gummi worms and a cinnamon bun; I doubted Lark would want any bottled ketchup or Pap's spaghetti. I held the food out to the child, who timidly received it, then boldly dug in. Leaning against one of the posts, I watched her carefully.

"so… you're a human?" I asked, though I already knew she was. Lark bobbed her head slightly. "i'm sans. sans the skeleton." When the child didn't reply in kind, I prompted—"'lark,' right?" She nodded. It seemed as though I wasn't gonna be able to get her to converse with me.

I glanced up the path. According to the script, Paps should come through now. He didn't. _the script is no longer in play._ Before I could dwell on this astounding development, Lark pointed the way I was looking and tipped her head to the side.

"ah… the trail?" I asked, unsure what she wanted. Lark nodded, and repeated her motions. I was beginning to think she _couldn't_ talk. I considered the path. "it leads to snowdin town, if that's what you're wondering." That appeared to be what she wanted to know. After a moment of gazing at it with uncertainty, she timidly handed me a gummi worm in thanks, and started off.

After gazing at my gummi worm gift for a moment, I watched Lark go. I couldn't sort my emotions from my instincts. Could a human truly be kind? What if she decided to fight? Toriel stopped asking me to look out for humans a long time ago. She'd broken from the abuse, too. I wasn't compelled to protect this kid.

On the flip side, she was very small… and rather weak. She was afraid and alone. Remembering the star-told story of Frisk I'd witnessed in the Space Place, I hesitated, torn. The script had taught me I wasn't supposed to intervene, right? I wasn't supposed to sway humans' fate… right? But then again, _that never stopped me._

Straightening from the post, I started walking after Lark.

I soon caught her in my sights. From behind a tree, I watched her approach a save star. She gingerly reached out and touched the hovering light. _"Filled with Hope. HP fully restored."_ I blinked. _filled with hope, not determination._ A smile tugged at my face. _hope._ She continued on her way, and I followed.

Eventually, Snowdrake sauntered into Lark's path. Terrified by the presence of a human, he attacked her. The battle began. I cringed as the snow monster landed three solid blows on the child. She wasn't very good at dodging; she didn't seem to have peripheral vision. A few failed attempts at mercy later, Lark started to look desperate. Another failed dodge. Tears were welling in her eyes as she let out a cry of panic, her stick knocked away as she tried to block an attack.

I was growing uneasy from her fearful display. Why was she so scared of dying? Her HP would be restored if she just reloaded the save file. Long ago, the hacker didn't mind dying; they just came back stronger. Lark stumbled to the ground, covering her head with an arm in terror, the other reaching out to Snowdrake, offering and begging for mercy.

My mind kicked. My breath caught. Desperation hit me as I realized the truth. She couldn't reload the save file. Because she didn't have one. The save star didn't say "file saved"! _if her hp hits 0, she'll die for real!_

I darted forward. Pinging Snowdrake's soul gold, I became invisible to him. Dodging the first wave of attacks, I met the second with attacks of my own, powderizing them mid-air. Before Lark could raise her head, I slid towards her, grazing my fingers across her shoulder, whispered _"hope,"_ and restored her HP. Snapping her head up, Lark glanced around in surprise, but I was gone in a flash teleport.

Snowdrake realized Lark was harmless. Receiving the gummi worm she offered, he fluttered off, and the battle ended. Gasping to catch my breath after the sudden burst of action, behind the trees once more, I watched Lark melt to the ground, sitting in the snow, smiling yet crying in relief as she realized she was still alive. I wanted to go comfort the child. But I couldn't let her know I'd intervened. I didn't need the script to tell me that.

Alright, so, she had to face this journey on her own. But she wouldn't be alone. Because I was going to keep her safe.

From that moment on, I followed Lark as faithfully as her shadow. It seemed Raven's wish for me had come true: a kind human had come to my world. In all of her interactions, through all the things she suffered, she remained gentle as a lamb. She didn't hurt anyone. It was like nothing I'd ever seen.

It wasn't long before I casually crossed paths with her again, leading her safely to Snowdin. When Papyrus saw the child, he didn't even try to capture her. The script had no control over their friendship. It wasn't long before Lark had to face Undyne. But I was there, pinging pebbles to trip the kiddo—saving her from spears that woulda skewered her—healing her, shielding her from attacks, and luring her down safe paths. Despite everything, the child befriended Undyne, too—with Papyrus's help, of course. The same held true for Muffet, Alphys, and Mettaton. Soon, Lark turned her gaze towards the castle. And I met her in the Hall.

Walking slowly through the corridor, Lark glanced in awe from the stained glass windows to the gold tiles to the majestic towering columns. Then, as she rounded a pillar, her gaze landed on me.

"hey kiddo," I greeted. She smiled too, scampering forward and hugging me. "good to see you too, lark," I said, smiling.

From there, I said my abridged, gentler version of the pacifist speech I never got to give. To explain, that since Lark didn't gain Levels Of ViolencE—L.O.V.E—she gained love. I'll never forget her smile.

"as you face king asgore, the path you choose will determine the future of humans and monsters. but; you've already saved us all. and you're nearly home," I said, giving her an encouraging smile. "so don't worry 'bout a thing."

Finished, I stepped aside slightly, indicating the path ahead. Just as I was about to teleport out of sight, Lark made a little sound of distress. I hesitated.

"what is it?" I asked. Slowly, Lark pointed at me, tipped her head to the side, and in the quietest, most gentle voice I've ever heard, asked—

"guardian… angel?" Shock stole my voice for a moment. Lark saw my baffled expression and reiterated—"guardian angel."

Suddenly, it all made sense. Lark had horrible luck. If I hadn't protected her, she'd have died for sure. She didn't have the power of reload or reset. She wasn't determined. Just hopeful. And I realized, I wasn't the Angel of the Underground. I wasn't supposed to free anyone. I wasn't meant to save my world; just one kid.

"guardian angel," I breathed, my soul resonating with its truth. Lark took this as a yes, and came to hug me. A moment later, I returned the embrace. "i guess you figured out i was following you, huh?" A slight nod. "i'm so sorry i left you to face all those frightening foes on your own… i'm so sorry," I whispered, wishing I'd known long ago so I could have fought for her. Then she shook her head.

"never alone," she quietly insisted, looking up at me, smiling… and blinking golden eyes at me for the first time. _hope._

We walked from the hall, hand in hand, to go find our happy ending. She didn't fight alone this time. I brought Asgore's HP down and shielded him from Flowey. The human souls—which I had hidden ahead of time—were not there for him to abuse. I got the chance to talk to the flower one on one, and called him out as Prince Asriel. I promised to find a soul for him on the surface. He just had to let Lark pass.

With the power of six human souls, Hope, and a single monster soul…

The barrier was broken.

Everyone heard it. Across the underground, all the monsters came running, the hope of freedom urging them onwards. And that hope wasn't disappointed. Lark led the way to the light of the sun. Us monsters all stood, gazing at its beauty in complete rapture… because we were free. It was so beautiful.

 _well, whatdo'ya know,_ I smiled to myself, standing between my brother and the child who'd saved us all, _happy endings really do exist._


	38. Afterstory: Reunited

Monsterkind was free. Our dreams had finally come true. And it was all thanks to Lark. The world was thrown into confusion upon the integration of a new race, but mankind seemed to be handling it relatively well. There was tension and debate, but thankfully, my close friends and I managed to stay out of the worst of the hullabaloo.

Since our collective human-pocket-change was small, Toriel, Asgore, the newly restored Asriel, Papyrus, Lark, and I all managed to work together to get a house to all share. At times it was rather cramped—borderline claustrophobic—but we were all happy. Because we were together. And that's all that mattered.

Lark would return to school in the fall, the Dreemurs would try and arrange peace, and Paps and I, well… we wouldn't change much. Life would come at its own pace.

I still had to protect Lark. It seemed I really was her guardian angel. She had the worst luck in the whole wide world. If it weren't for my foresight, she'd have died long ago. It'd only been about two months since the barrier was broken and I'd already saved her from being hit by a car 37 times, kept her from hitting the ground from the top of a tree 49 times, snatched her from sketchy looking characters 17 times, and picked her up from the ground away from snakes, deadly spiders, and angry hounds 62 times. That's not counting the random unfortunate encounters, and it still comes to a whopping 165 brushes with death. The grand total is actually somewhere around 300, but, I'm not keeping _that_ close of a count…

One day, the gang decided we'd have a picnic atop Mt. Ebott. It was safe now. And it would be amazing to climb the mountain we'd all been stuck under. Since the Dreemurs had a conference in the morning, Paps, Lark and I started up first. Which was probably a good thing. Because that's when it all changed.

Lark kept trying to sneak food from the basket. I kept catching her in the act. Soon she was off playing with the mountain pebbles, casting magic with the tree-dropped oaken "wands," and petting snails. I sat with Papyrus on the edge of a rock, chatting with him and watching Lark. After a while, there was a silence. Then…

"SANS?"

"yeah bro?"

"YOU KNOW… I'M REALLY GLAD LARK CAME," Papyrus declared.

"same," I agreed, smiling. Though he'd said similar things hundreds of times before, each one was as genuine as the last. But he wasn't done.

"EVERYONE'S HAPPY. QUEEN TORIEL AND KING ASGORE ARE HAPPY TOGETHER. AND THEY'RE HAPPY TO HAVE PRINCE ASRIEL BACK—MIRACULOUS! AND UNDYNE'S STUDYING TO BECOME A POLICEWOMAN. ALPHYS IS GOING TO BE A SCIENTIST—AND HAS ALL THE ANIME SHE COULD EVER WANT AT HER FINGERTIPS. METATTON'S A STAR. MUFFET AND GRILLBY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND FUKU'S HAPPY. LARK IS HERE, AND SAFE, AND HAPPY. I'M HAPPY." He stopped, looked at me, and asked—"SO… WHY AREN'T YOU?" I was so surprised I almost fell off the rock.

"what? what's that supposed to mean?" I asked, dumbfounded. "of course i'm happy!" Papyrus gave a slight frown.

"YOU'RE A LITTLE HAPPY. BUT NOT, _REALLY_ , HAPPY. WHAT'S WRONG?"

"ah, nothing, really. _tibia_ honest, i'm just a bit of a _numbskull_ when it comes to—"

"NO!" Papyrus suddenly insisted. "BE SERIOUS FOR ONCE, I MEAN IT! I KNOW YOU'VE SACRIFICED A LOT SO I CAN BE HAPPY. AND I CARE ABOUT YOU. SO I WANT TO SEE YOU HAPPY AS WELL. NO MORE JOKES. JUST TELL ME THE TRUTH. TELL ME WHAT'S BOTHERING YOU, PLEASE."

I fought to stifle the sigh that came when I realized I didn't have a good response. Papyrus was right. I wasn't perfectly happy. How could I be? I missed my friends. I was two people—Sans and Serif—and I knew I could never be whole. I feared failing Lark. If I took my eyes off her for _one second_ , she might get hurt. I wasn't sure I could live with myself if she died. I crept on tiptoe through all my conversations and interactions with Papyrus, terrified I might trigger some awful memory and he'd find out the awful truth. I couldn't bear to hurt him.

So how could I possibly be perfectly happy?

"i guess…" I started slowly. "i don't miss the past, but… i do miss aspects of it. now that my world is bigger, for some monsters, it feels like our worlds have drifted apart… i miss those friends. i worry about lark. she's justa kid, and, though she's a brave one, she's not a very safe one. she doesn't even have a family."

"WE'RE HER FAMILY," Papyrus pointed out.

"well, yes. but she should be with her own kind, too, though." Papyrus seemed to take my point. "atop all that, i'm really glad you're happy, but i wanna make sure that never changes. so…" I let out that inevitable sigh, "yeah. you're right. as usual." Papyrus seemed both triumphant and thoughtful.

"WELL, I SUPPOSE—"

Everything stopped. My soul pinched tight like a door hinge. _foresight._

"papyrus, stay back!" I exclaimed in horror, leaping up and dashing towards Lark, calling out for her. She was at the edge, reaching for a buttercup. Too late, she turned, and her face filled with fear as the ground cracked. The ledge crumbled. And she fell over the edge.

I dove after her. Papyrus's shouts were drowned out by the crashing of stone chunks and Lark's cries. The ground was coming too fast. Her hair bow was ripped away by the wind. I reached out for her. She was seconds away from being dashed to pieces—I grabbed her hand. In a flash, I curled myself around her—the next impact brought blackness.

A minute passed in oblivion.

 _"_ _sans… sans… sans…"_ All I knew was a horrid dull ache, all over my body. " _sans… sans… sans…"_ Something kept tapping me. " _sans… sans… sans…"_ Moaning, slowly, I opened my eyes a slit. Lark knelt atop me, frantically patting my cheeks with her little hands, tearfully whispering my name over and over. Upon seeing I was alive—she burst into frightened tears of gratitude.

"i'm okay," I murmured. "s'alright lark." Distantly, I could hear Papyrus running down the path towards us.

I wracked my memory to see if I really was alright. Yes, just before we hit the side, I grabbed Lark and wrapped wings and shield around us. The horrid ache must be from bouncing around inside the protection bubble, which thankfully didn't do any damage. Too late, the meaning of this sank in. _wings._ I sat bolt up, catching Lark from toppling—but it was too late.

Papyrus rounded the corner.

"SANS! LARK!" he called tearfully. He saw us. "OH, THANK HEAVENS YOU'RE—" He noticed the wings. There was a dumbfounded silence. "S-SANS? WHAT… WHAT ARE THOSE?" Slowly, I set Lark safely on the ground beside me, dreading fudging through a truthful explanation. "AND, I HEARD YOU CRASH ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE! HOW DID YOU SURVIVE?" The chances of this going well were dwindling. "AND… HOW DID YOU KNOW SHE WAS GOING TO FALL IN THE FIRST PLACE?" Sighing, I slowly stood, cringing. Despite being somewhat gullible and naïve at times, Papyrus never missed a detail—a fact I often forgot. I had no choice; there was no explanation but the truth.

"it's a really long story…" I said slowly. "i'll cut out the details for now, i guess, and just give you the answers. but… you're, ah… gonna wanna sit down for this." Still shaken from the scare and surprised by my even, serious tone, Papyrus didn't question this. He sat. There was a long pause while I tried to figure out where to start. "remember that nightmare? the one where i was gone for so long and no one remembered me?"

"THE ONE WHERE YOU DIED?" Papyrus asked concernedly. I nodded.

"yeah, that's the one. well… it wasn't a dream," _bombshell #1,_ "i didn't really kick the dust bucket then, but we've both actually kicked it before," _bombshell #2,_ "and there are other worlds," _bombshell #3._

Remembering the conniption such ground breaking info had thrown me into, I did my best to trim the details; Papyrus couldn't swallow it all at once, and some events weren't fit for Lark's ears. So I did my best.

"... foresight: glimpses of what might happen. that's how i keep her safe. and i already explained the wings and the shield, so… i guess that's it," I finished.

Stunned, Papyrus watched me with huge, unblinking eyes, absolutely baffled. I didn't blame him. Lark, who was now sitting beside him, remained mostly oblivious to what I'd said, but picked up on Pap's confusion. She seemed concerned.

"IF… IF THIS IS ONE OF YOUR J-JOKES," Papyrus stammered shakily. "IT'S NOT VERY FUNNY."

"i know it sounds too crazy to be true, but—"

I didn't even know what hit me.

There was a flash of light. Before my brain could register what it might mean, a cry of " _Serif!"_ rang out, and I was suddenly tackled to the ground so fast my slipper went flying. Then it felt like all my bones were going to snap, because something was squeezing me like a python. A few seconds later, I managed to shake away the stars circling my head and the spots dancing in my eyes, and saw…

" _blueberry?!"_ I balked in absolute shock.

"Mweh!" Blue exclaimed happily, still crushing me in a hug. "I told you I'd come back! I've missed you so much!" _we only knew each other for like, 20 minutes..._ my uselessly numb mind murmured. Without even letting go, Blue picked me up, still squeezing like death.

"ok blue," I wheezed, "you can let go now…" He let me go. Before I could even catch my breath—something swatted the back of my head. _Whap!_ "ouch!" I exclaimed, whirling. "what—?!" Suddenly I was in another fierce embrace.

"Why didn't you tell him!? It's been _months!_ "

"d-dream?!" I gasped. He held me at arm's length and shook me.

"What were you thinking?!"

"what are you talking about?! where have you guys been?" I exclaimed, confounded, scattered, yet overjoyed. Then, a few strides beyond Dream, Ink dropped in. He saw me, and after a dramatic pause, slowly melted to his knees and started crying like a baby.

"Oh my goodness… _Serif…_ it's been forever…!" he lamented.

"Ink, pull yourself together, you drama king!" Dream scolded. "Get over here and help me talk some sense into Serif's thick skull!" he exclaimed, still flustered. Next thing I knew, Ink was sniffling into my jacket and hugging me like there was no tomorrow. Despite the unbelievable shock, I tried my best to comfort him.

"guys…" I breathed, soon to share in Ink's tears. "you came back…"

"Of course we did!" Blueberry announced happily. "We're your friends!"

"but, it's been… why—?!"

"Because you kept the world closed, that's why!" Dream exclaimed. "For a universe like yours—one that was created blind to the multiverse, and in which the skelebro's are in perfect harmony—both the Sans _and_ the Papyrus need to know about the AUs in order for it to be open to the Multiverse! Didn't you learn _anything?!"_ he scolded in the most endearing way possible.

"UM… S-SANS?" Papyrus stammered. We all turned; he freaked out. "OH MY GOODNESS, THERE ARE FOUR! WHY ARE THERE FOUR? WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"bro, it's alright!" I exclaimed, promptly breaking away from a pacified Ink and stepping forward. "calm down. they're not 'me,' exactly."

"BUT YOU LOOK SO… WHO ARE THEY?"

"they're the friends i told you about," I explained, smiling now.

"I'm Blueberry! You must be Serif's brother; it's so wonderful to meet you!" Blueberry declared, marching forward and giving Papyrus a hug. He handled it better than expected. "Oh, hello tiny human!" Blue exclaimed, noticing Lark, who was hiding behind Paps. "What's your name?"

"her name is lark," I answered when she didn't reply. "she's a bit shy." Ink, noticing Lark's hair ribbon on the ground nearby, picked it up and took it over to her.

"Hi Lark," he greeted, smiling kindly. "Here, I found your hair bow; it's very creative. Did you make it?" he asked, offering her the ribbon. She took it, nodding slowly, a tiny grin starting to tug at her lips.

"She's not a Frisk," Dream stated simply, directing the comment at me.

"she's not," I affirmed. "not a drop of determination in her. just hope." Dream seemed curious.

"Can she reset? Do you sense Chara's presence with her?"

"nope," I answered. "no chara, no reset. can't even reload. turns out, i'm not the world's angel, just hers. it's quite a task, keeping her safe."

"She's a handful?"

"like you wouldn't believe. it's not her fault, i think fate just hates her." I glanced at Dream. "why ask?"

"Well… it's a rare phenomenon, but… maybe…" he turned to me. "Can I check her stats?"

"i'm not the one to ask," I replied, shrugging. Dream nodded, then stepped over to Lark, who had warmed up to Ink and Blue, enthralled with the colorful magic tricks; Papyrus seemed a bit more relaxed, too.

"Hello Lark," Dream said, kneeling before her. "You have a lovely name. Mine's Dream. Would it be alright with you if I pinged your soul?"

Lark seemed somewhat reserved, unsure about this new person and unusual request. But, looking between me and Dream, and apparently deciding we were friends, she timidly nodded. Dream pinged her and started reading. A bit of stat magic later—

"Ah, yes. Thank you Lark," he said, releasing her soul. "What's your favorite color?" Lark thought about this, then held up two fingers. She then pointed at the blue flower in her hair and the light lavender on her shirt. Dream smiled. "Hey, Ink. Think you could whip up a pendant?" Ink grinned, nodding.

"Lark," Ink said. "Wanna see something cool?" Lark nodded—as did Blueberry and Papyrus, who were watching with rapt attention.

A colorful display of magic later, Ink dangled a hollow glass heart from his fingers, similar to my portal pendant. After acknowledging the child's delighted gasp, Ink handed it over to Dream. Another cloud of magic later, and it was finished: a blue-rimmed, lavender-tinted-silver heart necklace. Lark gave a breath of awe as Dream held it out to her.

"Here, it's for you," he said. "Like it?" Lark nodded passionately, scrambling over to me and anxiously pointing at the clasp; I helped her put it on. "I'm so glad you like it," Dream said. "And, if you wear it all the time, it'll keep you safe and give Serif here a bit of a break."

"really?" I asked hopefully. "seriously? how?" Dream stood, grinning at Lark's happy antics as she puffed her chest out so as to display her new treasure to Papyrus.

"It cancels out bad Karma. The hacker left behind a good deal of it, and without Chara's presence, it stuck to Lark like lint. It's a rare occurrence, but it does happen: genocidal humans leaving behind a curse for the next child. That pendant should help balance things out."

At this point, Lark rejoined the group. Pointing from Ink to Blue to Dream, she requested—

"stay. family." The three Star Sanses practically glowed.

"Oh, human, you're absolutely precious!" Blueberry exclaimed, swooping her up and spinning her around, Lark giggling gleefully all along.

"We can't stay," Ink admitted, standing also. "We can't stay much longer now, anyway. But we'll be back. And, Serif," he said. "If… you've found your place here—don't feel pressured! But… all that separates our worlds is a shattered portal pendant. So… remember, no matter where you go, you can always come back!"

"sure you wanna say that? you're not gonna be able to get rid of me, now," I said, grinning.

"I'll take my chances," Ink said, smiling. A swirling rainbow portal opened a few feet away. "Well… _Hope,_ " Ink teased, happiness in his eyes. "See you on the flip side."

Three farewells later, I was left between my brother and kiddo. All I could do was stare in overwhelming joy at the space my friends had disappeared into. I couldn't wait to join them, perhaps that very afternoon!

"WOWIE! THE OTHER… 'SANSES' ARE AMAZING!"

"yeah," I agreed. "they really are." Papyrus caught glimpse of my face and suddenly smiled a mile wide.

"FINALLY!" I shot him a puzzled glance.

"'finally,' what?"

"YOU'RE FINALLY HAPPY!"

And I realized… he was right. As usual. Sans and Serif had reunited, and were finally whole.

And I was happy.


	39. Unknown

"AND THEN, THE FLUFFY BUNNY… HOPPED ALL THE WAY…" Carrot stopped reading. Blueberry was asleep. "HOME," he finished quietly, shutting the long-beloved storybook.

Setting the book back on the shelf, Swap Papyrus gazed out the window. The stars were out and the moon was on the rise. Night was truly beautiful on the surface. Turning back to his brother, Carrot carefully pulled the covers higher over Blue's shoulders, sat on the ground with his back against the bedframe, and sighed. Time to keep vigil.

Carrot knew sleep was inevitable. Despite his best efforts, he always fell into a shallow slumber before morning. Over the past few weeks, Carrot had programmed his internal clock so that he would awake two mere minutes before Blueberry, during which he would slip away and pretend to be asleep in his own bed—but even that short time scared him. All it would take was a minute. Just a second, if he looked away—that cursed Destroyer might snatch him. He might take Blueberry away.

 _MUST… STAY AWAKE…_ Carrot thought to himself, fighting to keep alert. A few seconds later, he snapped awake again, silently scolding himself for nodding off. This happened a few more times. Slowly, darkness fell over his mind again… His eyes snapped open. His soul seized up. Before him stood a Sans, shrouded in moon-cast shadow, silently staring at Blue. In an instant, Carrot leapt up and swung a side kick at the intruder's head, who simply raised an arm and blocked it.

"Carrot." The voice was unmistakable.

"INK?" Carrot asked.

"Yes," Ink answered, turning slightly to look at Carrot. The moonlight illuminated his face with a silvery glow. Ink seemed neither happy nor sad, neither angry nor content, not scared, but not comfortable. Unreadable. Tired, perhaps, Carrot finally decided. Ink evidently read Carrot's expression, for he quietly insisted—"Blue is safe now; you should sleep."

"HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY KNOW FOR SURE?" Carrot challenged, also keeping his voice down so as not to wake his sleeping brother. Ink looked back to Blue.

"Error has gone missing," Ink said simply, "along with many other forces of evil in the Multiverse." There was a strange pause.

"YOU DON'T SOUND PARTICULARLY HAPPY ABOUT THIS," Carrot observed.

"I fear the psychological effects Error could be experiencing from almost dusting Blueberry," Ink explained. "I watched something break within him when it happened. I fear Error has… done something foolish and permanent. To himself." At this, Carrot snorted.

"I DOUBT IT! ERROR'S MORE LIKELY TO KILL BLUE OUT OF RAGE THAN HIMSELF OUT OF GUILT." Ink considered this for a moment, then admitted—

"That conclusion leads me to fear Error has done something worse." This response unsettled Carrot. Ink continued. "If he is alive, than you can be assured Blue won't be snatched away in the middle of the night. Whatever Error does next will not be done in secret. It'll be big, for the whole Multiverse to see."

He paused to let this sink in.

"And if he does act—if you want to have a chance to fight back—" Ink insisted, "you need to be at top strength. You need sleep."

Carrot wanted to argue, but something about what Ink said struck disturbingly true in his soul. Yet, he couldn't just _leave_ Blueberry. Ink noticed his hesitation.

"If it will ease your mind, I will watch him tonight." Eventually, Carrot relented.

"SO LONG AS YOU DON'T DISAPPEAR BEFORE MORNING," Carrot demanded. The Artist nodded.

"I won't go anywhere. I promise."

This, finally, convinced Carrot. After one more hesitant glance at Blue and a wary glance at Ink, he left. There was a minute of acute silence, broken only by the faint chatter of nocturnal bugs and crickets' songs. With a sigh as quiet as a breath, Ink, careful as a cat, slipped onto the end of Blue's bed. Putting his back to the backboard and pulling his knees up, Ink watched over his friend.

 _Perhaps,_ he pondered, _by saving my life… Blue sealed his own fate, and the fate of the Multiverse._ This thought carried weight, and with chin to knees, Ink let go of another silent sigh. _Only time will tell._


	40. Final Words

**__**PLEASE READ**__**

(To see the cover art for each chapter, please watch "HopeTale Season 1 Cover Art Progress Shots" on my YouTube Channel FilledWithHope! I put a lot of work into all of them, and I hope they will add to the story for you.)

Well, we've come to the end. Thank you, dear reader. I hope you've enjoyed the story. But, it's not quite over.

As you may have gathered from chapter " ** _Unknown_** ", there is a HopeTale Season 2. At the time of my completion of Season 1, I am far into writing Season 2, yet have not quite started posting. I pray I will, very soon. Thank you for your patience.

If you really enjoy my writing, may I be so bold as to suggest you check out the rest of my profile? I have some more works pertaining to HopeTale, another AU named YinYang, and a non-UT related one This Dream of Mine. Most of them are still a W.I.P., but some day I believe they will be polished and completed just like this!

Stories should impact a reader, regardless of where they stand or what they love. Good storytelling is something that, ironically, cannot be explained with words. It can only be felt.

Once again, thank you. You have just read a huge story, and it means the world to me that you are reading this now. I hope it has taken you through highs and lows, some laughs, maybe a few tears. Perhaps opened your eyes.

Please, there is hope. It doesn't come from human hands, but the Author who loves us beyond measure. Reach out and ask Him to prove He's there, for, "He is not far from any one of us." I cannot write without turning the attention to Jesus, the One who put such joy in my heart and a story to tell. I wouldn't be here if He hadn't sacrificed everything to save me. I can't contain the joy and love, the hope He gives. "I'm not going to preach at you or shove my beliefs down your throat, but I hope you'll hear me out some day." So, see, I'm not thumping a Bible on your heads. No need to get upset with me. But if you ever want to talk, know I won't judge you, I love you, and God loves you far far more than I even ever could.

You are loved!

Thank you very much, and, I hope to see you SmolSparrows around,

All my gratitude,

~FilledWithHope

Questions? Requests? Logic loopholes you wanna haggle me about and we can start a debate club? Literally anything else that tickles your fancy? Email me!

Email: filledwithh0p3 (google mail, since it takes my address apart)


	41. HopeTale S1 COMPLETE Credits

**Credits:**  
(Alphabetical)  
AfterTale belongs to LoverOfPiggies  
BirdTale belongs to Hongi  
Blueberry belongs to [Unknown]  
ButtonTale belongs to Fontandsins  
CoreFrisk belongs to dokudoki  
DanceTale belongs to Teandstars and Sterrenschijnse  
Dream belongs to Joku  
ElemenTale belongs to FireArtist_Fira  
Error belongs to LoverOfPiggies  
FlowerFell belongs to Siviosanei  
Fresh belongs to Crayon Queen  
Hope Dreemur belongs to HopeDreemur (Undertale Amino)  
HopeTale belongs to FilledWithHope  
Ink belongs to Comyet  
MelonTale belongs to missladytale (Unsure?)  
Nightmare belongs to Joku  
OuterTale belongs to 2mi127 (Unsure?)  
RebornTale belongs to skellyhell (Unsure?)  
SugarSans belongs to sugartalesans (Tumblr)  
SwapFell belongs to (Unsure?)  
UnderFell belongs to Kaitogirl (Unsure?) and the Underfell Community  
Undertale (as we all know) belongs to Toby Fox

Thank you all 3

Stay tuned for Season 2!


End file.
